Philosophy of Education(CIRCA 2021)
To begin my philosophy of education statement is “Every student deserves a fair chance at learning. A teacher should be understanding to their students and help them when necessary. Classes should be open and engaging to all students.
As a teacher, I will not only teach students, but they should teach me. They should teach me about what works and what does not in my teaching style. Students should also not be afraid to talk to me when needed.” I chose this as my statement not only for the reasons provided but, also because my views of teaching align with the progressivism philosophy.
​
To start inclusivity Is something particularly important to me. I believe the best way to create an inclusive class is to understand that every student is different and have different needs. They should be able to modify their teaching and lesson plans when needed. For example, if a student is anxious and needs a moment to themselves a teacher should be able to let them stand out of the class for a moment to let them calm down. I will work with students to help find the best ways to make them feel included and welcomed in a class. In some cases, it may help students understand each other. I hope to not make the same mistakes some teachers did with me.
​
I believe students learn best when they are engaged in a lesson and if the subject is interesting to them. Also, if the teacher is friendly and is more lenient. In many cases, I have seen how a strict teacher-focused class functions, I did not like it. Sometimes I felt that the teacher was aggressive. That is why I feel that a more lenient teaching style is better suited to help students learn. Lessons also need to be interesting to students, so they have the urge to participate and stay focused.
​
I believe my goals for students are that they should be able to like the class and the subject and not dread it. They should also be open to talking to the teacher when necessary, for assistance with assignments and such. In many cases, I never really asked teachers for assistance. I was afraid of being criticized and feeling stupid. So, I need to make sure students should not fear something that will not happen. I especially need to make sure that students should I make a class environment and subject plan one that students would not dread and may even look forward to.
​
Building off of inclusivity and a lenient teaching style, A teacher should be friendly and should be liked by their students. They should help the students when needed and should be understanding of them. That is what I believe the qualities of an effective teacher should be. I felt that some of my teachers were aggressive in class and that made me dislike the class and teacher. With the aggressiveness came a feeling of them not caring that I had special needs. So, I need to make sure that I am liked by my students and attempt to not show aggression; of course, I cannot be a pushover either. If I learn to understand my students, I can come to better assist them.
​
I believe that when given the chance all students can learn. Sometimes each student will learn differently but, they should be able to learn given the chance. There have been theories and facts about students learning differently. From the multiple intelligence theory to gifted students, to special needs students. Some might struggle in a classroom so it's important to modify a lesson to make sure that all students have a fair chance at learning. Sometimes it is to provide a challenge for gifted students or other times to provide assistance to a special needs student. The point is that no student should be left out because the lesson plan is not giving them the chance.
​
These are just some of the reasons why my philosophy of education is what is. I believe that as I began teaching my philosophy will change as I adapt to the new ways of teaching as well as how students learn and collect information. I understand that my philosophy may not be perfect and that I must be ready to implement or modify it when needed. However, I do hope to utilize my philosophy of education in the classroom and my students appreciate and approve of such a teaching style and philosophy.
Mirror Work from Identity Affirming Classrooms
Buchanan-Rivera, Introduction
​
How do I identify? What are the intersections of my identity?
I identify as a person with autism, a Catholic, and a descendant of immigrants.
Who influenced the way I see myself?
Numerous people in my life have helped me Identify and embrace who I am. Some of my grandparents who came here from Mexico helped me embrace my Hispanic heritage. My friends who are also autistic, helped me fully embrace my autism.
When was the first time I learned about differences?
I believe the first time I learned an implication about differences was in early elementary school.
Going further I fully learned numerous differences: religious, cultural, etc.
How did my family react to people who looked different (i.e., in public spaces)?
I do not notice anything out of the ordinary when in public with my family.
What messages were conveyed in my household about differences?
There is nothing negative in my household about differences, we do seem to be open to others.
Although I do feel my dad is not so accepting of my autism.
Buchanan-Rivera, Ch 1
​
When did you learn you possessed a racial identity?
I believe I learned about concepts of racial identity when my parents were writing my race and
ethnicity down for a school document. They put “Hispanic”, but I did not fully understand what
that meant.
What racial identities did you affiliate with as a child?
I never really thought about it because I was never really asked, but when I did, I answered
Hispanic.
How did your social contexts influence your attitude and beliefs surrounding racial diversity?
I always embraced diversity because I never saw anything wrong with anyone else.
How have you been exposed to racism and what societal message did that experience
communicate to you?
I was never the victim of racism, but I have seen racism in popular culture on TV and when
learning history. I didn’t understand it at first but when I fully learned it I knew it wasn’t right.
What does it mean to you to be an antiracist?
It means to be against racism and embrace inclusivity.
Buchanan-Rivera, Ch 2
​
Social Contexts:
What is the makeup (e.g. racial, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) of my inner circles?
1. Afrikaner (white South African), male, gay, Aspergers ASD.
2. White Australian, male, gay, neurotypical
3. White American, male, straight, autistic
How do my social contexts influence my beliefs about educational equity? Perhaps,
some of these people are your accountability partners!
The first friend listed was frequently getting borderline hate-crimed regularly because of
his autism. That encouraged me to further embrace my ASD but also to create a safe
space in my classroom for those who have neurological disorders.
Skills:
What skills and resources do I need to grow in understanding educational equity?
Removing oppressive environments.
Systems of accountability:
How can I hold myself accountable in the work of creating equitable environments?
Recognize that good intentions do not automatically lead to equitable outcomes.
Who are my accountability partners?
I do not believe I have an accountability partner.
Buchanan-Rivera, Ch 3
​
What did you take away from the CAST Webinar on Designing for Identity that
will help to inform your instructional planning?
Education helps construct identities.
Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity.
Foster collaboration, interdependence, and collective learning.
Address biases.
Many of us have experienced when keeping it real goes wrong moments. Think about a
time when you entered a challenging conversation about a humanity-related topic that
may have spiraled and generated strong emotions.
• What ideologies did you bring into the conversation in comparison to the other
person/people?
When a group of people were constantly being openly and unapologetically
critical to my online friend for being autistic online. He has even had hate group
chats made about him. I would always come to his defense. I would argue
utilizing Ethics and pointing out their hypocrisy or how their arguments consist of
mostly insults or cursing and are poorly constructed.
• Where did those ideologies come from?
I have experienced hate because of my autism myself, so I know that I should
come to his aid.
• If you had more time to process, would you have entered that conversation
differently?
No, because I know it was Ethical to come to his aid. Also, after seeing more about
these people, they are hate-filled and unapologetic. A couple of them turned out to be
catfish (fake people), and one even victim blamed another friend of mine who attempted
suicide and would not own up to it.
Buchanan-Rivera, Ch 4
​
Name the qualities you would look for in an identity affirming, physical space.
A quiet space to unwind, it has couches to sit on. It is detached from the main area. A
separate room if you need to be alone. It is quiet.
Where does that identify affirming place exist in your life based on the qualities you
named?
When I used to work at the airport, I would occasionally go into a sensory room when my
Autism acted up, or when I was suffering a breakdown. Which would happen a lot
towards the end of my job. So, what I described is a type of sensory room.
Think about the identity affirming space that you identified and answer the following
questions that are applicable to that space:
What does it look like? When I was working at the airport, the room looked like a lounge
than a room at an airport.
What does it feel like? It makes me feel safe and comfortable after experiencing a
breakdown or when my autism is affecting me.
What do you hear? Either silence or calming music
What do you smell? A neutral smell the room did not have any type of smell.
What can you taste? The room did not have a taste
How has/will your identity and understanding of affirming spaces shape the way you
design your classroom environment? Is there a disconnect between your beliefs and
construction of space?
I understand that I cannot make a sensory room in my class. I can, however, make the
classroom comfortable for students with Autism or other disorders. I cannot make the
room quiet, but I can give students permission to step outside. I’ve had instances where
I needed to do that, once I had a teacher who I felt didn’t care or maybe wasn’t aware of
my autism, and threatened to write me up because I needed to step outside. I can also
prevent students from being ableist and calling people slurs. Of course, my goal is not just
to make my classroom comfortable for students with Autism but also for all students.
Now, thinking about your field experience classroom, what messages and beliefs does
the classroom environment send to students? Use the five senses to justify your
assessment.
​
My mentor teacher’s room features inspirational quotes from famous historical figures.
She also has various things about geography and government. In terms of feeling and
smelling, she does allow the window to be opened occasionally to air out the room
because it can get stuffy, and sometimes it smells. In terms of hearing, she does her
best to keep the student rowdiness, slurs, and cursing down, and I do my best to help as
well.