Greta LeAnn Richardson's Educational Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is very eclectic. I believe in a wide variety of teaching practices and classroom strategies. I believe that every learner is has a unique combination of multiple intelligences. The theory of multiple intelligences was developed by Howard Gardner, an educational theorist. According to Howard Gardner, people have a unique blend of intelligences: Linguistic, Logical-mathematical, Body-Kinesthetic, Spatial, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal, and musical intelligence. As a teacher, I believe that ongoing assessments will give me insight on what types of intelligences my students possess. As I get to know how each and every one of my students learn best, I will use multiple teaching strategies to reach every student.

I also believe that children build their knowledge from previous knowledge, or "schema". It is very important to allow children to arrive at a state of "equilibrium" by assimilating or accommodating new information that is presented. It is crucial to relate concepts and new learning to the child's prior knowledge. Without activating prior knowledge, the child would not have a basis or foundation on which to launch their learning.

Active learning is yet another strategy that I believe every teacher should incorporate in the classroom. A child needs to explore and experiment with hands-on materials that make the learning experience authentic and real. The children should be active participants in their learning. Therefore, I believe that the teacher should be the guide and the facilitator; not the dictator. The classroom should be "child-centered", not "teacher-centered". This means that there will be no basis for lectures. I believe that the teacher is there to "scaffold" or support the learner, until the learner can perform the task on his or her own. I believe that inquiry and questioning is key to a positive learning environment as well.

Another key factor in a positive classroom environment is cooperative grouping. In a world of "globalization", it is very important for people to learn to get along, work together, and cooperate together, despite the diversity that we are faced with. Therefore, I believe that children should learn to work together, share together, and collaborate together in cooperative groups. Each and every student in each of the groups will have a responsibility. This will give all the students in each group "accountability". I have used cooperative grouping in my field practicum experiences, and I believe that this grouping strategy is crucial in today's classroom.

It is up to the teacher to create a positive, safe, hands-on, content-rich, comfortable, educational, and disciplined environment for today's children. For today's children are tomorrow's leaders.

The last part of my teaching philosophy can be expressed in a quote from the famous Robert Fulghum. I heard this quote at my oldest daughter's Kindergarten graduation, and it has touched my life and been extremely influential in my everyday living and my teaching career:

"All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together. "

HOWARD GARDNER, an educational theorist has influenced my personal philosophies on education. Below are some links to follow to find out more about Howard Garner and his Multiple Intelligences.

Gardner's Harvard web site at http://pzweb.harvard.edu/PIs/HG.htm
Penn State University's site at http://www.ed.psu.edu/insys/ESD/Gardner/menu.html
How Technology Enhances Howard Gardner's Eight Intelligences at America Tomorrow http://www.america-tomorrow.com/ati/nhl80402.htm
The Psi Cafe: A Psychology Resource Site at http://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/KeyTheorists/Gardner.htm