Philosophy of Teaching

by Steven C. Paul

Over the course of my time in the Adult Education and Training Program, I have been introduced to many of the intrinsic ideas that have helped shape my teaching philosophy. I began this journey with little pre-conceived notion of what a teaching philosophy was and how this would affect my approach to adult education. This has allowed me to remain open to any and all ideas that have been presented to me throughout my experience in this program. I began this philosophical journey early on as I considered the various concepts put forth in Michael W. Galbraith's Adult Learning Methods as well as the Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory (PAEI). Although my mind was a blank slate, I struggled to envision how these concepts would translate into the context of a genuine learning environment.

From the beginning, I made an immediate connection with the concept of humanism. As described by Lorraine Zinn, humanistic philosophy is “based on the assumption that human nature is essentially positive and that each person possesses virtually unlimited potential; places emphasis on personal growth and self-direction in the learning process” (p. 47). While this may sound overly-idealistic to some, I found this perception heavily contingent on how these words are interpreted.

This likely stems from the concept of “virtually unlimited potential”. Some may interpret this to mean that every learner has the ability to do everything and that individual skills and talents are a matter of a learner's choice. I do not believe this to be so. I believe that any learner may possess the ability to do anything and that an educator's role is to present avenues for a learner to pursue the fulfillment of their potential, regardless of the field. How does my interpretation differ from the every learner/everything ideal? It is as simple as the difference between anything and everything. While I believe that any learner can possess the potential to accomplish anything, I do not hold the assumption that every learner possesses the potential to accomplish everything. While this may appear to be a matter of simple semantics, I consider the distinction critical and central to my teaching philosophy.

As I have progressed through this program and prepared for a career in adult education, I must consider how this philosophy will be employed. Humanist philosophy emphasizes a strong reinforcement of a self-directed learning approach. When I took the Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) assessment in my first semester, my scores fell well within the range of a “teacher-centered” instructional style. This appeared to be significantly incompatible with my adopted identity as a humanist educator.

While this realization was somewhat alarming, I realized that this was rooted in my limited experience regarding adult education. Since I entered this program lacking experience as a facilitator, my perception of adult education was based upon my experiences as a learner. I never realized this, but I had formulated many presumptions throughout my academic career. What I concluded was that my learning experiences were, in many ways, fundamentally incompatible with my philosophy as an aspiring educator. Rather than process this as a regret, I considered this new found awareness as indicative that I was beginning to form my own identity as an educator.

My time in this program has allowed me to explore many aspects of my identity as an educator and consider how these will evolve over the course of my professional career. Although my experiences as a passive learner initially shaped my definition of an adult educator, this will not serve as my legacy. I endeavor to adopt an approach which involves minimal amounts of my direct input. This strategy is reinforced by Donald L. Finkel in his 2000 book Teaching With Your Mouth Shut. Finkel emphasizes an approach that supports meaningful and enduring learning through the encouragement of a learner's self direction along with little interference from an educator.

Like many learners of my generation, Finkel's ideals bear little resemblance to many of my own learning experiences. As a humanist, however, I have come to realize that effective lifelong learning must come from within the learner and form no one else. This has drastically altered my understanding of who a true educator is and how they fulfill their role within the overall learning experience. My time in this program has allowed me to take the first steps in realizing my own "virtually unlimited potential". This is a journey that I will never complete, but one which I must continue in order to help others realize their own.

References

Finkel, D.L. (2000). Teaching With Your Mouth Shut. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers.

Zinn, L.M. (2004). Exploring Your Philosophical Orientation. In M.W. Galbraith (Ed.),

Adult Learning Methods: A Guide to Effective Instruction (3rd ed.). Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Company.