Philosophy of Education by Brandon McDonald https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7 Made with good vibes, by Brandon McDonald en-us 2022-06-29 18:36:34 UTC 2025-10-08 14:13:06 UTC hello@padlet.com The “Whole Child” Approach bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233657087 Although effective teaching strategies may utilize a variety of philosophical approaches, I believe my core beliefs as an educator are based in Humanistic Theory. Within this model, there is an emphasis on the “whole child” being inherently good and capable of learning, and will reach their maximum potential if their basic human needs are met first. Abraham Maslow is known as the leading philosopher of Humanism.]]> 2022-06-29 20:23:49 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233657087 Teacher is a Facilitator, not a Dictator bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233665021
  • The Humanistic approach places learning in the control on the students.
  • The teacher is to facilitate, model, but not be a “Sage on the Stage”.
  • Incorporate the Universal Designs for Learning into the curriculum and classroom environment. 
  • Teach learning skills, provide students with the tools that best assist each individual student. 
  • Provide motivation for classroom tasks.
  • Provide choices to students in task/subject/delivery selection.
  • Create and encourage opportunities for the students who work collaboratively with peers. 
  • Incorporate various technological aspects into the curriculum in order to increase engagement and maintain motivation. 
    • ]]>     2022-06-29 20:39:51 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233665021     Student-Centered Learning bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233668726
  • Students are encouraged to to control of their own learning.
  • Student choice is a large component of Humanism.
  • The goal is for the students to find/create their own passion for learning and what they learn about.
  • Students engage in collaborative learning by working in small groups or partners.
  • Students should be encouraged to respectfully discuss and debate different viewpoints when appropriate. 
  • Acquire and utilize Higher Order Thinking skills. 
    • ]]>     2022-06-29 20:48:22 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233668726     bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233670850 2022-06-29 20:53:31 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233670850 bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233671483 2022-06-29 20:55:15 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233671483 Creating an “Everyone Environment” bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233674707
  • Community Meetings where the students can share their thoughts and feelings, update the class on their lives, and set daily/weekly goals for themselves.
  • Culturally relevant material from different perspectives (i.e. Native American viewpoints vs European Settlers views)
  • Access to Bi-Lingual instruction and tools.
  • Adaptive technology tools for students with specific learning needs.
  • Culturally relevant and diverse representation on the walls in the classroom.
  • Utilizing ELA and ELD Frameworks 
  • Allowing and encouraging ELL students to speak in their native languages, and encourage them to teach others how to speak it as well.
  • Listening to music and enjoying food from various parts of the world.
  • Celebrating each others’ cultural influences on a more frequent basis, and not just during designated holidays. 
    • ]]>     2022-06-29 21:03:54 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233674707     Culture of Safety and Belonging bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233681257 Students will have increased chance to thrive in a classroom that supports each students’ individual needs. They need to have the authentic feeling of safety in regards to their physical, mental and emotional safety in order to be able to focus on academics. In the classroom, this could look like :
    • Allowing students extra time to eat throughout the day, providing small healthy snacks to the students.
    • Giving students flexible seating options (stand-up desks, bean bags, floor mats, carpet squares, rolling chairs, outside/grass area)
    • Having extra clothes available in the classroom and hygienic supplies that the students can quickly access without embarrassment. 
    • A simple morning greeting, personalized questions/handshake.
    • Utilizing the Zones of Regulation https://zonesofregulation.com/index.html (Color-Coded system for identifying social-emotional states) and having manipulatives available in each section that correspond to those zones ( bean bags, blankets and pillows in the Blue Zone for kids who are tired/sad, or tactile fidgets and bouncy chairs in the Yellow Zone for those who are feeling hyper/silly). 
    • Community Meetings where the students can share their Zones of Regulation, discuss why they may feel that way, and daily/weekly goals to help them reach their potential.
    • Creating an authentic rapport with not only he students, but their families as well.  
    ]]>     2022-06-29 21:23:13 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233681257     Young Minds: The Smallest Strings in the Fabric of Society bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233685314 The purpose of Education is ultimately to provide children with necessary tools, strategies, and knowledge to eventually become productive members of society. The College and Career Readiness (CCR) Anchor Standards within the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are specially structured to build students’ foundational skills throughout their education. http://www.corestandards.org/]]> 2022-06-29 21:34:57 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233685314 Especially Spectacular Student Services bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233692265 The purpose of Special Education is to find creative ways to meet each specific students’ needs.  The ultimate goal is still to ensure that we are cultivating productive members of society,  it just may require a few extra tools and strategies along the way. Our goal in Special Education is to identify the students’ needs and implement these tools (via the IEP process) in order to help the students increase their autonomy and confidence in their skills. Skill-building is essentially the foundation for Special Educators and their students. ]]> 2022-06-29 21:54:40 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233692265 Finding What Works, and Working it bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233786727 In order to help each and every student reach their maximum academic and social potential, it is  essential that we meet each student where they at, build off the strengths and provide scaffolds for their struggles.

    Accommodations (changes how we learn)
    • Giving students flexible seating options.
    • Speech-to-text or read-to-me features
    • Giving students choice in their delivery method (verbally, written, recorded, drawn, etc).
    • Giving students extra time on assignments, or reducing the required amount of responses. 
    • Allowing students to work with peers, groups.
    • Behavior/Academic Reward system. 

    Modifications (changes what we learn)
    • Alternative curriculum written at a lower level.
    • Reduction of overall amount of required work.
    • Omitting problems from a story, simplifying/reducing the vocabulary.
    • Alternative books that are based on their Present Levels of Performance.
    • Tests are written a lower level. students allowed to preview test ahead of time
    • Students can use study guides, calculators, visual supports during tests. 
    ]]>     2022-06-30 00:55:28 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233786727     Are they Actually Learning? How do we know? bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233816970 Formative Assessment Strategies (Assessment FOR Learning)
    • Cooperative Learning Activities
    • Graphic Organizers
    • Open-ended questioning
    • Exit-Ticket tasks 
    • Self-Monitoring logs 
    • Running Records
    • Oral presentations 
    Summative Assessment Strategies (Assessment OF Learning)
    • Theme projects 
    • Research papers
    • Unit Tests
    • Creative and collaborative group work
    • Standardized Tests 
    • Final Projects
    ]]>     2022-06-30 01:28:30 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233816970     The Magic of Motivation bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233820124 Self-monitoring and goal-setting are essential components of increasing student motivation. When the students feel they are involved in their own learning outcomes, they tend to show more intrinsic motivation towards completing tasks. These can be in the form of Token Boards, Behavior or Task Checklists, Goal Sheets, etc. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Search:self%20monitoring%20checklists%20for%20students]]> 2022-06-30 01:31:59 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233820124 Growing a Garden of Growing Minds bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233992674 Fostering a Growth Mindset in the classroom is an effective way to not only increase student motivation, it can potentially increase their success as well. Simply by adding the word “yet” to what would have been a negative sentence otherwise, the power shifts to the student and puts them in charge of their own learning outcomes.]]> 2022-06-30 05:07:33 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2233992674 How we FEEL affects how we DO bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2234400005
  • Determined
    • Having the passion and drive to relentlessly pursue what’s best for each student, each and every day.
    • Willingness to “go against the grain” at times and advocate for policy/program changes in order to fully meet our students’ needs. 
    • Not feeling discouraged when our initial plan does not work out the way we’d imagined. 
  • Intrigued
    • Taking a true interest in the student’s lives, connecting with them and building a rapport is vital to their success, as well as creating an overall more positive learning atmosphere. 
  • Curious
    • Being open to new ideas and perspectives, willingness to explore those ideas and incorporate them as needed.
    • Presenting open-mindedness and inclusivity in our everyday lives and actions, not just in the classroom. 
  • Hopeful 
    • Never giving up on the students who need it tho most, whom many others may already have given up on. 
    • Knowing that every child is inherently good, we need to always strive for ways to bring out their best, especially when it appears that they are at their “worst”.
  • Optimistic 
    • Utilizing, modeling, and maintaining a Growth Mindset in the classroom as well as in our daily lives. 
    • Goal-oriented approach, following through and holding ourselves accountable for those goals. 
    • ]]>     2022-06-30 15:18:21 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2234400005     bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2234501987 2022-06-30 18:20:49 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2234501987 bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2234515715 2022-06-30 18:50:09 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2234515715 bmcdonald217 https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2234535253 2022-06-30 19:36:34 UTC https://padlet.com/bmcdonald217/xvqzaup7bzcl3m7/wish/2234535253