Electronic Portfolio Department of Social Science Education |
| Table of Contents
Professional Standards |
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education - Mark Twain Why Social Studies?..... Schools are excellent arenas that build and mold student learning. On the other hand, it is not the only place that students recieve an education. I feel that it is my job as a social studies educator to make the time spent in class worthwhile to each and every student, and aim to produce an environment that serves as a launching pad for kids to put into practice what they have learned. These experiences will contribute to a student's overall education. But how will I make class time worthwhile? A rationale is an invaluable tool that a teacher can possess. It serves as the backbone for what is done in the classroom, and it allows the teacher a way to defend his/her teaching pedagogies. Contructing aworking rationale allows a teacher to determine what to teach, and at the same time why they teach. These two words, what and why, have been thrown around quite a few times throuought my student teaching experience and I feel that they are very important questions to actively pursue. That is what is so interesting about a rationale, it provides a framework for our own development as a teacher based upon the changes that we undergo as a society. I feel that my teaching rationale will always be under a state of construction, but in the meantime I am very optimistic about my abilities to teach students about the benefits of being well-informed active participants in a democratic society. By systematic reflection upon my own teaching I feel that I can grow and prosper as a teacher, but most importantly, my students will be the one's who will reap the full benefits of this action. So, take a walkthrough of the the current phase of construction that I am presently in as a teacher. Hopefully it will let you peer inside my head and my heart a little bit and see my true passions for teaching. |