What Do I believe?

This will the last post that is not on an observation that I recorded. This post is a summery of all my posts so far, and there are some things that stick out above all the words that are spoken. These things will be discussed and conclusions will be drawn from them so you can see what my beliefs are and so I can figure out what my beliefs are.

The first thought that seems to be prominent in my blog posts is this need for a strong foundation before a child can start learning. This can be drawn to the need to connect with the students and parents from a teachers prospective. I believe that students will learn more effectively when the parents are involved in the education and the student feels comfortable with what they are doing. This strong support from home and the teacher forms a foundation that the student can rely on for both questions and answers.

The second thought is that the students will learn when the students want to learn. Students, I feel, only do as much as we ask them to do because they don't have to go above and beyond that standard. If they do then a teacher can praise them on their good work and set a new standard, but the student chooses when to perform that way. Branching off of my first thought, the student will grow out of this foundation that is set. The student will have many ideas and creative impulses, but I feel that they will show those talents when the student is comfortable enough in their learning environment. I have someone very close to me that fits this description perfectly. He is one of the smartest people you will ever meet, but he always fails his classes in high school. Why is this? After talking to him, he says that school is a waste of time for him, and in a way I can see why this is true because the school system does nothing to benefit his learning style or needs. When this person wants to graduate, he will graduate and then can go on to do anything he wants to do, because he has the insight to do so. This subject of independence leads into my next thought, the need for open mindedness

This is the last thought that I can find that sticks out in my blogs. No matter what you do, I feel like the need for the student to become  independent in what he or she thinks. I feel that this is arguably the most important subject for me because I feel that the students will need to become independent thinkers before they can develop the ability to critically think about any topic. I feel that this cannot be achieved through a lecture, but rather a hands on activity that focuses on real world problems or problems that do not have a true solution. These problems can range from ways to solve a problem at home, or all the way around the world to try to think of why countries are scared of the middle east. Problems like these have no true answer to them, but only suggestions, and the development of suggestions can help a student form their own thoughts that reflect their beliefs. However it is important to teach them what kind of thoughts are tolerable. Students need to have a tolerance in their head for a multitude of things that range from sexuality to something as small as sharing.

So there it is, a collection of the beliefs that have formed throughout the year, and how they relate to the subject of education. They are very opinionated and personal, but that is what a belief is. There are no wrong beliefs but there are those that are accepted and rejected. Just remember to stay independent in your thoughts because you are the person who knows what you believe best.