Lumps of Clay or Raw Material? Defining your Personal Philosophy

"My classroom is a zoo today!" "It's like I'm banging my head against a brick wall." "I try to weave all the concepts together." "My students are really blossoming." We speak in metaphor all the time. Research shows that everyday conversation makes use of at least four metaphors per minute. A closer look at the language we use demonstrates the power of verbal imagery infused with our values and beliefs. These underlying values and beliefs can provide insight into the goals of those who seek to reform education.

What is your philosophy of education? It pays to know your own preferred metaphors because they influence your teaching philosophy and model for education. In order to improve our schools, getting the model right is not nearly as important as getting the right model.

1. What is your age?
Under 18 Years Old
18 to 24 Years Old
25 to 30 Years Old
31 to 40 Years Old
41 to 50 Years Old
51 to 60 Years Old
Over 60 Years Old
2. What is your gender?
Male
Female
3. Teaching involves
presenting information and practice.
filling empty vessels with necessary information.
nurturing and empowering students.
diagnosing and correcting.
study of essential subjects and hard work.
4. The teacher's role in the learning process can best be described as:
a factory worker: not very skilled, not very insightful, and, within the context of 'real' professions such as law and medicine, not very bright.
a diagnostician and therapist who cast themself as an observer, scrutinizer, and assessor.
a motivator who ensures skills learned are put into practice.
a facilitator of learning and disciplinarian.
a guide and encourager.
5. The curriculum's role in the learning process can best be described as:
an assembly line down which students go.
a prescription, highly individualized, diagnosed through testing.
a game plan and strategy for achieving goals.
an environment using projects and real-life activities.
narrow in scope and focused predominantly on basic skills.
6. The student's role in the learning process can best be described as:
raw materials to be molded, tested against common standards.
team players whose objective is making the cut or being number 1.
passive listeners, sponges that soak up knowledge and regurgitate the information when pressed.
patients who accumluate records of test and regimens of treatments.
individual plants who construct their own knowledge from resources and experiences.
7. Accurate assessment of the learning process includes:
high stakes testing that requires raising the bar.
the product quality is assessed against standards and products are recycled through until all standards are met within set deadlines.
clinical trials and diagnostic testing that measures the success of interventions.
satisfaction in one's progress, one's love of learning, and the quality of individual, real-life projects done by the students.
measurement of individual skills and knowledge against the student's own ability and capacity for learning.
8. Expected outcome of the learning process:
Winners and competitors within the world market.
Literate citizens and trained workers.
Reliable community members and dependable workers.
Healthy and whole members of society.
Self-motivated lifelong learners.
9. Accountability means success or_________:
penalties and sanctions.
punishment, parental choice and reconstitution.
try, try again.
apply a different intervention.
reshaping supports for individual needs.
10. The public's expectation(s) of the learning process:
The public wants to know about the quality of particular schools and teachers and how they compare to others.
The public wants schools that are familiar and where parents know the teacher and feel welcomed in the school any time.
The public wants to produce students with similar knowledge and skills so they can better serve business and industry.
The public wants a remedy or cure for social ills.
The public wants an environment that nurtures individual growth.
11. Choose a metaphor to describe a failed idea or concept:
That idea died on the vine.
I wouldn�t give a plugged nickel for that idea.
That idea sure missed the mark.
That idea didn't hold water.
That idea fell victim to a lack of funds.
12. Choose a phrase that describes a successful idea or concept:
His idea paid off.
He hit a home run with that one!
His ideas have finally come to fruition.
He is in high cotton.
She breathed life into that program with her new ideas.
13. Match the following problem of learning with the proper education model metaphor. "We can't learn in these conditions"
Education is ballgame.
Education is a garden.
Education is an assembly line.
Education is basic.
Education is a cure.
14. Match the following problem of learning with the proper education model metaphor. "It's got me beat."
Education is ballgame.
Education is a garden.
Education is an assembly line.
Education is basic.
Education is a cure.
15. Match the following problem of learning with the proper education model metaphor. "It makes me want to throw up."
Education is ballgame.
Education is a garden.
Education is an assembly line.
Education is basic.
Education is a cure.
16. Match the following problem of learning with the proper education model metaphor. "I can't make anything out of this."
Education is a ballgame.
Education is a garden.
Education is an assembly line.
Education is basic.
Education is a cure.
17. Students' success depends on hard work and perserverance. If students try hard enough, they can achieve anything.
True
False
18. Standards are essential in assessing quality education and measuring students' progress.
True
False
19. Choose the best metaphor to describe effort.
Keeping your nose to the grindstone.
Stepping up to the plate.
Plowing on through.
Ratcheting up the pressure.

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