Attached is the "Teach For US" link by Teach for America. Teach for America is a national organization that is made up of recent college graduates teaching throughout the United States. I enjoyed navigating through this blog site because the blogs are by teachers in urban and rural public schools in many different regions across the United States. To the right there is a section called "Other Interesting Things" where you will be able to find links to other blogs. I especially enjoyed reading the blogs about the various things that students say. As you navigate through the site just click on the links and you find yourself reading blogs from other teachers, about many different things from all over the country. The “Browse Network” link, at the top of the page, allows you to specifically connect to blogs from teachers in other states. I found this especially interesting because of the ability to compare the blogs of New Mexico teachers to those of teachers in other states.

Currently, an elementary school teacher from New Mexico is the featured blog. The teacher’s blog is called “EminNM” where they discuss what it is like to be an educator in New Mexico. I found a post on this blog intriguing. The teacher discussed that they had sent out a parent survey, several times as they put it, “to get parent voices involved.” The teacher explained that they had only received three back after havening sent it out twice. As I read this particular blog, I found myself wondering if this something that I may encounter as an educator in New Mexico, and how I might overcome certain things like a lack of participation from parents in the classroom? Overall, there are many different blog sites on the internet and I found that I enjoy reading the blogs from teachers in New Mexico.             

Teach for Us

There is no definitive definition of teaching, but I believe there may be a fundamental purpose to teaching. When teaching you should be able to cultivate the intellect, whilst helping to develop knowledge. I believe that when you are educating or teaching an individual there should be an improvement in their own minds, where the individual is able to cultivate the intellect and build knowledge within them. It is not necessarily about what they learn, but the continual learning experience that you have shared with them. My ideas about teaching are formative thoughts shaped by my own experiences, values, and abilities, which have been influenced by my own education. Teaching may be a universal thought, but because I have been predisposed to a certain schooling system my thoughts about education may be contextual. I realize that there is a societal and generational experience that accompanies my thoughts about schooling and education. I know for no better reason, than to compare my educational experience that of an individual that lives in another country. When looking at the experiences and tutorials of students from other countries you realize that what you have learned and cultivated in school is sometimes much different than their own experiences. With that being said, I still feel that teaching has a fundamental purpose to cultivate the intellect and help develop knowledge. Whether you have gone to school in the United States or another country, what you are taught will be influenced by your experiences within your society. However, there should be a universal understanding that people learn, within their societies, and this helps to develop their own knowledge.     

“Philogging” (Philosophical blogging) is the first step in the constantly evolving process used to define and consider one’s own personal philosophy of education. How do you being to articulate your beliefs about your role in a classroom? In order to answer this question you must first be able to identify your beliefs as they pertain to your personal philosophies about education. I am certainly ready to develop my philosophy and have a better understanding of my collection of beliefs about education that have been influencing me up to this point in my life. Throughout the semester the challenge will be to begin to define and understand my role as an educator in the classroom. Having spent most of my life in the educational system, as a student, it has undoubtedly influenced my beliefs about education. This will be represented and reflected in my understanding of my role, and will hopefully help me to develop my own personal philosophy. However, in order for me to articulate my beliefs about my role in a classroom I must first understand my beliefs and those things that have influenced my opinions and thoughts about education and schooling. This is a process that will involve varying philosophies and will challenge any sort of misconceptions that have already influenced me both historically and socially. The learning process of articulating and expressing my personal philosophy of education will be both challenging and rewarding. I hope to have a better understanding and define my role as an educator, and develop my personal philosophy of education as the semester progresses.