As I complete this week’s readings and contemplate the discussion questions at hand I once again find myself wondering how I have succeeded in this program. On many occasions throughout this year I have found myself frustrated with the hypocrisy of class structures that encourage multiple approaches to intelligence and learning styles yet continue to have the same lecture-read-write format that higher education has always had.
While I understand that there is some level of expectation that we will have mastered such tasks before reaching this level of education the disappoint remains as I continue to do the same assignments over and over. The assignments that I completed this year that made the most impact for me were the ones where we were given more freedom. It was occasionally hard to find structure and focus on the more creative assignments but they are also the ones that will stick with me the longest. The creative presentation of my teaching philosophy which I prepared for Dr. Espinor’s Students as Learners class was probably my favorite assignment ever and I still show it to anyone I get to watch. Similarly, the lesson plan creation for our Diversity class was used throughout my internship last year as a tool to educate General Ed students on my students with special needs. Most of my other assignments, reflections and research papers are not likely to ever be looked at again. While I know that learning took place writing those assignments, they just aren’t what I feel is the most useful tool for myself as a learner. Had more professors practiced what they preached, I believe, they could have provided us with a more comprehensive educational experience.
Creative Presentation of Teaching Philosophy
