My Teaching Theory

1. Existentialism

1.1. Reality resides inside each of us

1.1.1. The world makes sense to each of us differently

1.1.2. Our senses are fallible

1.2. Nothing has meaning

1.2.1. Bleak and worthless existances

1.3. Our ability to follow and be herded like animals is a sad truth. Realizing that the social systems want to construct individuals that fit in so that the system can perpetuate is essential to reaching those students that might be having trouble. This is the "know the enemy" outlook on how it influences me. The idea that our individuality could invalidate the perceived and agreed upon reality is conceptually intriguing.

2. Realism

2.1. The realm of the hard sciences

2.1.1. Scientific method

2.1.2. Observation

2.1.3. Connecting the observed world with ideas

2.2. Physical world centered

2.2.1. Believe that it exists independent of the human mind

2.2.2. Everything has an explanation

2.3. Lower priority on self reflection

2.4. Useful in the sense that the Scientific Method allows us to make sense of the world and shows that there is a disconnect between beliefs and reality at times. This overlaps with Pragmatism.

3. Essentialism

3.1. Common skills

3.1.1. Math

3.1.2. Language

3.1.2.1. Reading

3.1.2.2. Writing

3.2. Hard Work

3.2.1. Effort should be rewarded

3.3. Developing a basic skill set so that students can function in the society and culture that they will have to live in is important. These skills serve as a foundation that the rest of learning can be built off of.

4. Pragmatism

4.1. Overlaps with other theories

4.1.1. Specifically Realism and Idealism

4.2. Is very adaptable

4.2.1. Set methods and ideas are lacking

4.2.2. The ability to quickly change positions due to new facts or methods

4.3. The classroom is a community

4.3.1. Students and teachers can change roles at times

4.4. I view this as flexibility. Knowing that theories and known facts are subject to change and I have to be ready to be wrong as new things are developed. Using the scientific method to quantify ideas so that there is a common ground for transferring them to others is important

5. Constructivism

5.1. Group activities

5.1.1. Debates

5.1.2. Discussions

5.1.3. In class role playing activities

5.2. Presenting problems and letting the class figure out solutions

5.3. This theory has influenced me in how I want to run classroom activities and model my interactions with students. I think that activities involving all the students in a class work better for instruction than lecturing and worksheets.

6. Idealism

6.1. Socratic method

6.2. Making Individuals

6.3. The mind is the source

6.4. I think that the Socratic method is an important tool for students to learn and use. It can help with self discovery and with being able to rationalize ones view of a controversial topic.