Philosophy
Social Justice
It is as important for a teacher to teach and model moral and ethical
behavior as it is to teach academics. A child's background is not a
known quantity, and privilege levels vary dramatically from child to
child. Children's background and home lives are not equal; care, finances,
quality of life, housing, food, clothing, comfort, parental education
level, support, and every aspect of their lives outside of school vary.
Through public education, and more directly, through the teacher, I
believe that students must be taught about things that they may or may
not have learned in their home lives that it is their right in this
country to know. Some children are privileged to learn about justice,
freedom, fairness, and equality at home, while others are not as fortunate.
In order to provide equal education and opportunity for all students,
it is my responsibility to instruct about fairness, honesty, justice,
empathy, equality, and democracy, the morals and ethics of this society.
The country in which we teach and live is based upon these principles,
and in order to live in this society successfully, peacefully, and lawfully,
students must be provided with an education in the country's morals
and ethics. It is especially important to teach students from underprivileged
backgrounds that they have a voice as valid as any other, that they
have the same rights and privileges as every other person, and that
they are equal in every way to everyone else. Students of privilege
must learn these same values in order not only to make them aware of
their own equality in every way, but also to ensure that they understand
that they are not superior to anyone else, and therefore may not dominate
over others' rights and choices. I have had the opportunity to teach
and be involved with schools
I do not feel that contemporary politics and society adhere to the ethics on which this country was established, but I do feel that these underlying positive principles are what should be our goal.
I have witnessed acts that go against the principles of a just, equitable society, but I believe that if students are taught the expectations of just and fair behavior, perhaps this will help to overcome the negative practices and attitudes. I have been treated unequally and unfairly in many instances throughout my life, and I model rising above the negatives, exhibiting fairness in the classroom and in life, and I treat my students with the respect and decency that every one deserves.
If I teach fairly and equally to all of my students, with and about caring, peace, empathy, support, understanding, decency, and kindness, I sincerely hope that my students will be able to transcend their own past inequities and difficulties to accomplish whatever goals they set for themselves.
References:1 Jewell, M. (2005). (Guest Lecturer)
EDSPE 520 Summer B - Accommodations in the General Education Classroom.
University of Washington.
2 Edgar, E. (2005). Lectures EDSPE 520
Summer B - Accommodations in the General Education Classroom. University
of Washington.
3 Govan, Ilsa (2005). (Guest Lecturer)
EDSPE 520 Summer B - Accommodations in the General Education Classroom.
University of Washington.
4 Guskey, T. R. (1997). Implementing
mastery learning. New York: Wadsworth.
5 McCue, F. (2005). (Guest Lecturer)
EDSPE 520 Summer B - Accommodations in the General Education Classroom.
University of Washington.
6 Bruner, J.(1977). The process of education.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.