We Learn By Doing :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays

We Learn By Doing An old Chinese proverb states: Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand. In three short statements this proverb represents my outlook on education. Over-all my philosophy could be described as eclectic; nonetheless, the main emphasis I plan to make stems from progressivism. I also plan to incorporate behaviorism into my teachings and I will maintain an open mind throughout my teaching career in order to adapt to the needs of my pupils. Furthermore, I will increase my professional status by continuing my education and by becoming involved in established associations. I’ve made my athletic career by imitating the elite that have come before me, and then refining my technique to better meet my needs. I intended to do this in my teaching career as well by modeling John Dewey’s ideas of how people learn. Dewey thought that people were more apt to learn if they were involved in the activity. â€Å"Book learning,† as he referred to it, â€Å"is no substitute for actually doing things.† The origin of my opinion stems from my early and middle childhood. I never wanted to take my parents word that I should not do something, and I always had find out the â€Å"hard way† by experiencing the situation for myself before I learned not to do it. Another root in progressivism that I have is throughout my schooling is that I have noticed that my peers and I excelled better in the classes in which we participated in activities rather than listened to lectures and did book-work assignments. I also believe that i nteractive assignments are the foundation of a good Physical Education Program. Young children and even teenagers have a hard time grasping the concepts of biomechanics, so rather than lecturing on the proper motions of throwing a ball it is much more effective to have the students participate in activities that shows them the effective and non-effective ways to complete a task or skill. My classroom philosophy also contains elements from behaviorism. I believe rewarding and positive reinforcement is the best way to get the results one desires from his/her students.