1. Camille L. Feyen--A02577988 Philosophy of Teaching CI 4332—Fall 2014
I don’t believe that there is a child that comes into this world without the desire to learn.
I do believe that by the time that many students reach their secondary educations that they have
had some experiences that may have turned them off to certain content areas or to academic
education in general. I believe that it is, therefore, impossible to teach students anything without
first having them “buy in” to what I am teaching them. I think that there are several key
strategies that I can implement, which will make my high school English classroom something
that they want to “buy into.”
First and foremost, like John Dewey, I believe that school is chiefly about social
interaction for students at the secondary education level, and because of the social element I
believe that students will find more success learning in “circles” rather than “rows.” I plan for
my classroom to learn in circles, which will look much like Socrates’ classes in ancient Greece:
students sitting in circles and experimenting with ideas by debating with each other while I
monitor and guide the discussion. Students will also be able to have more time to discuss their
conclusions when we break our large class circle down into smaller circles of three or four
students. I believe that this method teaches a variety of useful skills for students beyond English
Language Arts and Literature. I think that it is important to build a community in which students
feel comfortable sharing their ideas and to think critically and skeptically about information they
are given, so that they can learn to assert their own beliefs and opinions. I believe that my
students will feel empowered in my classroom because I will not practice the traditional
“banking method” of education.
Another way in which I will get students to “buy in” is by offering personal check-ins,
which will let students know that I care about them as individuals and that I am invested in their
personal and academic success. Once per week, as a standing assignment, I would like for
students to reflect in their journals about their week or their weekend: how it has gone, why did it
go that way, if they had it to do over would they do it differently, what is coming up that they are
excited for, etc. The style in which they write in their journals will relate to what we learn that

2. Camille L. Feyen--A02577988 Philosophy of Teaching CI 4332—Fall 2014
week so that they can practically implement the skills we learn in class, for example if we are in
our poetry unit they will write a poem, etc. I believe that this kind of journal assignment will not
only provide an opportunity to review skills, but will also teach students about personal
responsibility and self-awareness, as well as provide potential explanations if the student is
exhibiting any odd behaviors. Like Rousseau, I think that part of my responsibility as an
educator comes from teaching students how to be well adjusted adults with good character in
addition to teaching them English Language Arts and Literature skills. Mostly, I would like for
my students to know that I am a resource for them—teaching isn’t just a job, it is a calling, and I
would like to be a benefit to my students in any way that I can.
From my own experience as a student in secondary education I remember how
monotonous it felt to practice skills that I did not think I would ever use again after high school,
therefore I think that it is of paramount importance to make it known to my students that they
will use the skills I teach them in their everyday lives during and after high school. I will make it
know that (persuasive) writing skills are used in every field of work, from writing medical
reports and explanations of computer science codes, to writing grants for funding and emailing
bosses or employees. I think that a skill set of more immediate interest to high school students
may be practicing their respectful debating skills. I will let students know that respectful
debating can be very useful when persuading their parents that they are mature enough for a later
curfew, or working out a disagreement with their significant other, and someday using those
skills to respectfully disagree with their future bosses about which direction to go on a project. I
think that it is also important to teach students how to ask and answer divergent questions in
order to receive the most information. After students master asking and answering questions,
they will then learn to practice critical thinking and skepticism in order to make the best decision
about what to do with that information, like they will do in the future as voters.
I would like to offer a “Universal Design for Learning” in my classroom, which means
that I will aim to build in interventions that all students can benefit from such as offering literary

3. Camille L. Feyen--A02577988 Philosophy of Teaching CI 4332—Fall 2014
reference sheets and post the class itinerary on the board, etc., which I believe to be beneficial for
all students. I believe in “Differentiated Instruction,” therefore I hope to “shake up” my
classroom and get students moving at least once per day. Since the first psychology class that I
took in high school, I have held the belief that the best learning is linked to physical activity, due
to the acetylcholine production while muscles are moving, which promotes a healthier memory
and better retention, which is an added benefit to breaking lessons down into segments that will
fit students’ attention spans. I also plan to offer creative alternatives to traditional assignments, as
well as opportunities for extra credit.
The last and possibly most important action that I can take to get students to “buy in” is
to “buy in” myself and avoid hypocrisy. Nothing will turn students “off” faster than being a
hypocrite and showing them by my actions that I do not value the assignments or even the
content area that I am asking them to value. I will stay up to date on my content area and
assignments by taking the time to fully grade their assignments, giving constructive criticism
AND noting ways in which students improve over the year, because I believe in using an “Asset
Model.” I believe that learning is a co-operative experience and as such, every student brings a
unique perspective and skill set to the group as a whole. As the facilitator for the group learning
experience I believe that a crucial part of being an effective educator is individually recognizing
student strengths, as well as bringing the skills of more introverted students to the attention of the
class in a way that will not embarrass the student.
I believe that educating students is the most important work that I can do with my life. I
believe that my job not only entails the coverage of TEKS and ELPs, but that I also have a
responsibility to empower individuals through teaching them a strong character, self-awareness,
and learning to work co-operatively. I believe that when a classroom comes together for common
learning objectives that the class becomes something greater than the sum of its parts. I look
forward to affirming kids that the traditional system has written off that their perspective is
important. I look forward to teaching kids to be better writers and better people.

4. Camille L. Feyen--A02577988 Philosophy of Teaching CI 4332—Fall 2014
References
Concepts Used by Paulo Freire. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.freire.org/paulo-freire/
concepts-used-by-paulo-freire
Jean-Jacques Rousseau. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 04:35, Dec 10, 2014,
from http://www.biography.com/people/jean-jacques-rousseau-9465453.
John Dewey. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 04:29, Dec 10, 2014,
fromhttp://www.biography.com/people/john-dewey-9273497.
Price, K.M. & Nelson, K.L. (2011). Planning Effective Instruction: Diversity Responsive Methods and
Management. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.