Education: The Expert Theory

Paramount to my teaching philosophy is building strong relationships with students. By illustrating that I care for their needs and desires, I hope to become approachable and produce a sense of belonging. In my opinion, students possess an innate need to belong to social groups, and the development of positive relationships is imperative to students’ satisfaction of this need. According to Dreikurs, ‘students can often appear to be complicated and confusing to their teachers, most of them simply want their teachers to take the time to ask questions, tell stories, and be genuinely interested in who they are beyond the classroom’ (Daniels, 2011). It is essential that I build positive relationships with students, through a supportive, democratic teaching style. With a strong focus on democracy within my teaching philosophy, students have the opportunity to learn, while expressing creativity and critical thinking. This method allows students to question every aspect of learning, learn from their mistakes, and form a sense of independence. I, as the teacher, become the facilitator of learning, rather than the dictator.

Students are social beings with a desire to belong, which is why my teaching philosophy supports social acceptance. Students who are well adjusted and feel a sense of belonging within the classroom are more likely to conform to the group and demonstrate positive contributions. While students who do not possess the same feeling are likely to misbehave by defying the needs of the group, in an attempt to maintain social status. Furthermore, students are decision-making organisms, and their behaviour is ‘purposive and directed toward a goal’ (Dreikurs, 1968). Dreikurs’ Social Discipline Model maintains that it is possible t...

... middle of paper ...

...Heathcote, 1995). This method brings students’ awareness of their learning into consciousness, within an explicit structure; ‘with skilful questioning and negotiation the teacher can encourage students to reflect on how the learning is going, and even renegotiate aspects of the learning environment before stepping back into it’ (Aitken, 2013). Students are offered structure in the classroom, yet are encouraged to experiment with different forms of research, problem solving and presentation of work. Essentially, students are restricted by instruction, while also supported in their consideration of choices, independent problem solving, and appropriate use of tools and materials. This method demands a higher order of thinking and an increased emotional intelligence, bringing students’ ‘inner motivational resources into the learning activity’ (Reeve & Halusic, 2009).