by Dave Eaton

Created on: January 18, 2011

My personal educational belief revolves around one of my favorite quotes, which is “walk the walk”.  In the current educational system, teachers’ jobs are no longer to just educate the students, but to also be a mentor, provide guidance, and to show students how to “walk the walk”.  In “walking the walk”, teachers are able to provide students with a daily reminder of how to act, how to dress, how to speak to adults, and how to carry themselves in a professional standard.  Teaching is the only work field that can shape you people lives on a daily basis.  There is not another profession where young adults interact with a working professional every day.  Teachers help shape the lives and future of each student they come in contact with.

My philosophy is similar to Dewey when he states that, “the teacher is engaged, not simply in the training of individuals, but in the formation of the proper social life”.   My goal is to create an environment where every student is challenged academically, but to also provide students on how to be a positive role model, father figure, and a working professional.  Many students come from single family homes and do not have the family structure or guidance that other students may have.  Those students come to school for an education, but they also come to school for more.  They look up to teachers and find support from teachers that they are unable to get at home.  For these students, the classes they are enrolled in are not as important as who their teacher may be.  Some students today are struggling to find a quality role model and their only option is one of their teachers.  Teachers must remember that students are not only learning the critical content, but also learning life lessons on how teachers handle certain situations and how teachers carry themselves on a daily basis.

Teaching in the physical education field at Wheaton North High School, we challenge our students to incorporate and apply the principles of what they are learning into their own life.  For instance, a physically educated person would be able to apply principles of teamwork within the family, community or workplace. Students must also display acceptable levels of individual responsibility, cooperation, and respect for self and others in everyday life experiences. Even though are students are learning through physical activity, our students must learn to problem solve, make decisions, accept responsibilities for consequences, and work with decisions made by others.  These are all skills that when they are in the work place themselves, they must be able to do successfully.

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