The Philosopher's View of Jeff Rellias
To Develop Readers:
"What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure." ~ Samuel Johnson
One of the most important factors, definitively related to my subject of teaching, is the teaching of reading, not only how, but also why. As far as reading, it is important to not only offer to your students the multitude of genres of literature that are available to them, but you must also find the selections that they will find personal pleasure in, something that is important to them. To coincide with this, I feel it is very important for the students to find themselves in the story, to connect with the characters in it, understand their plights, sympathize with them, and respond to those feelings accordingly. The value of literature grows exponentially when there is a connection involved.
To Develop Writers:
"Better to write for yourself and have no public,than to write for the public and have no self." ~ Cyril Connolly
Just as important as the reading facet of English is that of writing. Similarly, students must have the freedom to input personal feeling and narrative into all of their writing, just as they interpret literature in their own personal way. The gain of writing skill is just as important as the self-discovery that occurs through the writing process. To brainstorm, pre-write, draft, edit, and finalize loses all its value without this personal connection. The more a student understands about his or her personal writing process, the more he or she can personally develop his or her ideas about the world.
To Develop Ideas:
"The way a book is read - which is to say, the qualities a reader brings to a book - can have as much to do with its worth as anything the author puts into it." ~ Norman Cousins
One of the joys of literature, as well as the teaching of it, is that it is one of the few aspects of schooling where interpretation is necessary. Where mathematics, sciences, and history has more finite answers, literature is open to multitudes of interpretation, whether it be from the perspective of the author, the reader, or their society. For this reason, with regards to the portrayal of ideas to my students, I hold no higher ground than they do. My job is not to funnel ideas or interpretations into their minds, but let them draw their own conclusions, and help them develop those conclusions in a way that makes them strong and powerful. This is an aspect that goes far beyond the classroom; a skill that can be used in their lives far outside the literary realm. Formulating strong arguments and supporting one’s interpretation is a talent that all students need to develop to successfully achieve into today’s world.
To Develop Learners:
"I am not a teacher; only a fellow traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead –ahead of myself as well as of you." ~ George Bernard Shaw
Another one of the most important facets of the teaching profession is to develop the ability and the desire for students to not only learn, but understand how they learn, and why it is so necessary. Too often does it seem that students drift through such an amazing process, simply handing in their work to get by without truly understanding the gifts they are being given. My hope is that each student will learn what makes them a student of the world; that in fact they are learning every minute of every day. Education, to be effective, can not simply be an accumulation of facts and knowledge, but must be understood as a process that we participate in our entire lives. With this theory in mind, students will be better prepared to absorb ideas and factors of the world around them, question them, consider them from all angles, and then make their own personal judgment based on those conclusions.
To Develop Individuals:
"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher regard those who think alike than those who think differently." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Combining the thoughts of developing both learners and the ideas that they bring to the table will bring about very unique individuals. Everyone has their opinion, yet the value of these opinions varies based solely on one’s education. My opinion on something such as nuclear power will pale in comparison to that of a nuclear physicist. Therefore, it is necessary to develop educated students in who will not simply follow in the footsteps of others, but create and forge their own pathway. In the literary realm, finding connections with the plights of characters that are on their own individual path can help inspire students to find their own way as well. Creating individuals can only form a society strong thinkers, as well as those that will take action in creating a better world for generations to come.
To Develop Citizens:
"The principal goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done." ~ Jean Piaget
Though this seems directly contradictory to the above statement of developing individuals, I contest that it is the exact opposite. Through the teaching of English literature, there is the opportunity to expose students to the multitude of cultures that exist in our vast world. The more knowledge of the numerous different peoples that make up the society we live in today, the better understanding they can develop of the world, and the more apt they will be to both participate within it as well as change it for the better. Social injustices, poverty, and the other problems that plague are world can all be fixed by creating individuals with the mind and spirit to help their society. Through literature can come that understanding. Through understanding can come acceptance and recognition. Through acceptance and recognition can come the ability and desire to act for the great good of all mankind.
To Develop Myself:
"If there is anything we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves." ~ Carl Jung
Lastly, I want to teach to develop myself. One of the biggest dreads that someone who has been inspired to pursue the four goals above is a life of mediocrity and stagnation. I feel that through teaching I can keep up with the ever-changing world around me, while also actively giving back to a community that has given me so much. I hope that by teaching I can also continue to learn, and in teaching for the development of ideas, learners, individuals, and citizens, I can continue to develop those in myself as well. There is more in common between a teacher and his or her students than meets the eye, and a “good” teacher is one who grows with his or her students, and helps to inspire them to seek a path will help themselves and humanity, just as we as teachers were once inspired.
Berkey Hall
When it comes to my personal philsophers, here is where they reside. I have strolled almost every floor and sat in almost every room of this building, learning things from math to history to Spanish. A great building with teachers that aspire to be like someday.
