Originally it was my belief that the purpose of school is to prepareindividuals for future work. Future work should use one’s unique God-given talents.
In general, I believe people were made to design, innovate,invent and create. But each ot us have a role within that. But in terms ofthe function of a teaching organization (school), my beliefs have begun tosimultaneously widen and narrow.The widening of my belief in the purpose of school is based on themassive diversity | am experiencing in human potential on a daily basis.Prior to becoming a school administrator, never did I even conceive of the this range.
This is why I have come to the conciusion that the purpose of school is toteach students how to learn. (The old concept of giving a person a fishallows them to eat for a day. Teaching them to fish allows them to eat fora lifetime.)My beliefs on the purpose of school have, at the same time. begun tonarrow because of what I know about managing a human organization.
To string together a long list of dream outcomes for schools and label it avision or a mission is a recipe for mediocrity and disaster (what is seenmost often in our public schools). In choosing a vision or mission, aschool (human organization) is actually excluding many attractiveal ternatives and focusing on one. The only requirement of this vision ormission is that it be measurable.
A school mission of developing student’s potential is probablySelf Confidence, Self Worth, Self EsteemWithin school administrator education there is a great deal of discussion aboutstudent’s self issues. They are labeled self confidence, self worth and selfesteem. there might be subtleties in their use and definition but they allspeak to the students thoughts regarding who they are.
School administrator education preaches the raising of unmotivated student’s selfissues as a motivating factor of such students. The methods are manyand numerous: A supportive and warm environment, additional funding,the right kind of pedagogy (depending on who you talk to: classic, liberalor critical), closer relationships between students and school administrators and so onand so forthYet another lie of school administrator education is that unmotivated students arelow in these self issues. Empirical research data is apparently vast tosupport this.
My experience, however, is that many of my unmotivatedstudents are bursting with self confidence. They are supremely selfconfident in their ability to function in and around math (even though theyare failing) sports, wealth, life, etoUpon putting some of my Professors to this question they explain thatthis an overcompensation in self confidence. How can one argue withhat?I believe it is my responsibility to model the behavior that I expect frommy students. Certainly this includes moral behavior. But I do not believeit is my responsibility to teach students morals (that is legitimately theresponsibility of their parents / guardians).
This is because, according tothe laws ôf our land, which I abide by, we are to separate church andstate. I do not believe morals can be taught without referencing God.Therefore, the standards I hold my students to will not be moral standards(with the following exceptions). These are left to parents and God throughHis plan to teach.The exceptions to this are that there are standards which I considerreligious-based which we do enforce in our society and, in fact, thegovernment and schools do enforce. For example, we expect studentsnot to lie or steal or cheat. These are religious-based societal rules.
Though we are seeing even the fortitude to enforce such moral standardsabandoned in school and by government (the reason is, I believe, theremoval of religion from school). The result is that such moral standardsbecome unenforceable and some attorneys will no doubt argue23Standards assume that, as an educator, believe that every studentcan learn the material required in the standards. The question is not if,but when?I had a professor tell me once, “In education, the ideal will always winout over the practical.
” His comment was directed at the fact that, aseducators, we believe that students can learn to read and write and evenlearn algebra. Yet there are many algebra school administrators who do not believethat every student can learn algebra. I believe that every student can andshould learn algebra.It is the broad unifying themes of algebra that I believe are important toevery student. The thematic content of algebra is applicable to manysituations in life. The details of algebra such as the mechanics of solvinga compound inequality have little meaning to me in terms of practicalityYet the concept that we were made to design, innovate, invent and createis not only practical to me but motivating. Math was discovered andinvented to aid in the design and creation process.
It is the creativeprocess that drives the math and not vice versa.The following is a short conceptual list of what I believe the standardsshould pursue in all subjects and in all grades.Ask yourself this question, “Do I believe that every child can learm toread and write?” Then you would agree that every child should be heid tostandards that require them to become proficient at reading and writingNow ask yourself, “Do I believe that every child can leam slgebrs?you answer that ever child can learn algebra, then there should bestandards that cover slgsbra and every student shoud be required tobscome proficient at these standardsif educators believe that students are not able to iearn algebra,however, then students should not be required to take such a course, thswould be setting students up for failre.
If educators believe that sturdentscan only learn some aspecis o algebrs, then students shouks be requiredto become proficient at a level of algebrs that is appropriate to that belietlbelieve that all sustents can lean any level of math they are requiredto learn, but careful tonsderaion needs to be gven ss to now suentswill be assessed and on what basis tbis math will be presentedin other wesam a suppoer of standards based edationResult 1 of 1 in this book for my background as an educatorstudents and parents understand this concept, they take a differentapproach to learning. The approach to learning takes on a saferenvironment in which not meeting proficiency simply means we are goingto keep trying and in varied forms of instruction until the student becomesproficient at the standard. This concept implies a commitment to thestudent which transcends a school-year commitment and becomes ayear-to-year and school administrator-to-school administrator (even parent-to-parent a sad realityof the world we live in) commitment.The fact of the matter is that many school administrators do not believe that allstudents can learn algebra, for example. To put a child into a standardsbased system where the school administrator does not believe all students can learnthe standards is to compromise the student immediately. The problemhere is that standards have only recently been imposed on schoolsystems (within the last 10 or 15 years). It takes more time than this totransform human beliefs.
In all fairness to school administrators who argue thatalgebra is not for everybody, they have a lot of anecdotal evidence ontheir side of the argument.It is the obligation of every school administrator education to explain who they are,what they believe, where they have come from and how they have endedup in education. This is a professional obligation. Collectively, thisstatement is called a philosophy of education. Such a document shouldbe on the shelf of every school administrator educator in every classroom or office inwhich they work. Such a document should be given to all to read whoaskParents should have access to every school administrator’s philosophy ofeducation and have a choice as to whether their child is instructed by thisschool administrator / educatorSchool administrator / educators should update their philosophy of educationperiodically as all of our perspectives change over time. Such a periad oftime may be every one to three yearsAdministrators shoud require interviewing school administrators to provide thermwith such a document for consideration in hiring.
Teaching is a publicservice position and full disclosure is in order. Along these ines. I presentmy philosophy of education.My Many Careersin my background are many varied careers.
These careers includeWhen asked, “Why are you a school administrator?” my response is that, “I am aneducator by the will of God and the authority of Jesus Christ.” I answerthis way because the events which have brought me to where I am are tome, clearly miracles.I wanted to be a school administrator since I was a young boy. This interest wassparked when my engineering college roommate expressed that at somepoint, he was going to return to high school and teach math. This ideastuck in my head and I decided I would do this too.
(By-the-way, he hasnot done it yet.)Ifaxed out my resume to several schools and had seven interviews thenext day and five offers the day after that. Against the advice of myschool administrator friends, I chose to teach 7h Grade Math at a middle school. Howbad could it be? Without a single day of training, I walked into a 7h gradeclassroom, inherited over 200 students, and began to teach math. By theend of my first year, my Coach, Mentor School administrator and Principal all agreedthat I was the worst school administrator to ever be born and fired me with anunsatisfactory rating on my evaluation (called a STUL)Of course I was a bad school administrator, it was my first year. What I did notrealize at the time was that an unsatisfactory evaluation meant that I couldnot teach in the district for five years and could only return with an abovesatisfactory evaluation from some other school district (of course no otherOne GodI am a believer in the one living God who created and sustains all lifeI believe that the day is coming when God will bring His kingdom to earthas promised repeatedly throughout the old and new testamentsAccording. to His plans for His kingdom, I believe that God created andraised up His firstborn son, Jesus Christ, that he might be the firsthornamong many brothers.
It is in this hope that I am savedIt is my belief that Jesus is God’s anointed Christ and appointed kingof His kingdomLove God, Love Othersl believe in the instruction of Jesus Christ that I am to, along with himlove the one living God with all my hear, soul, mind and strength and thatI am to love others as myself. In this command, there is no distinction ofsex, race, gender, religion, disability, orieritation, etc These twocommands are the fulfilment of the old covenant law under the nevwcovenant which came into force with the Christ’s first comingFrom this command comes my prsition on what is sometimes calledmuticutural education. That is nat l am to have no bias on any basiswnatsoever toward anoher person and that indludes all students, parentsadministrators, etc I assert that multicuitural education is a lousysubrinution for the above two commandsAs part of my faith I am instructed to obey the laws of the land in whichI live. This includes my adherence to the laws concerning separation ofchurch and state. Further, I believe that, as it is written, no man can cometo Christ unless the Father draws him. It is not, therefore, my duty to fightsuch a battle.
The battle is God’s and I believe He is worthy to the task.See (Grant & Sleeter, 2003) for more information on Multiouiltural Approaches.Copyrighted maturialYet when asked, I will freely share my beliefs with students, parents andadministrators.What is more, no person is separable from the beliefs which makethem.
In fact, educational theories like the classic, romantic and criticalpedagogies have their founding in what are religious belief systems.Yet when asked, I will freely share my beliefs with students, parents andadministrators.What is more, no person is separable from the beliefs which makethem. In fact, educational theories like the classic, romantic and criticalpedagogies have their tounding in what are religious belief systems.While I do not promote my beliefs in class or school., t is who I amEducators, however, are forced into some dilemma in terms of therelationship or conflict rather of separation of church and state and theconcept of cultural heritage.
Separation of church and state means theschool administrator is not promoting their own beliets about God to their students.Yet school administrators are expected to not only accept the cultural heritage of theirts but are being taught in school administrator education to celebrate them allequally. Yet many beliefs about God, including my own, are dictated bynot just the acceptance of some beliefs but the rejection of other beliets.It would be hard for me to present such a topic equally because the verystudennature ot my beliefs reject such ia presentationBecause ot the impossibility of an equal presentation of diverseperspectives.
I go out of my way to explain my bias. One thing s tor sure,abjectiy believe that such decsions can only be made by the individualfor themselves. Evidence may be prenented one way or another butknow people and even high school students are nor swayed by wnat: It’s Allanother thinks or saye (ospeciaily coming from an adut)The concept that stucdonts, are to succoed even in the tace ot adisciminatory system, use ther outures to e. ad academic vehicle andThe overall motivation of my life is to please my creator. I do this inthe example of my king, Jesus Christ, by seeking not my own will but thewill of the one who sent me. I want to proclaim through actions, wordsand deeds that there is one living God and He is holy. That God’skingdom is coming and that God’s firstborn son, Jesus Christ, has beengiven the responsibility of managing that kingdom.
The time has come,the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news.Cultural HeritageThe phrase “cultural heritage” is a buzz-word of the educationalsystem to clearly show that a person is inseparable from their upbringing -their religion. Cultural heritage is the new acceptable form of discussingfaith in the classroom.
Yet, my faith preaches the appointed king fromcreation (appointed and created by the Creator Himself) crucified becauseof his cultural heritage.Yet we find the unending hypocrisy of the educational system in thecultural heritage of the student being celebrated but that of the school administratorexclude.
