Ted Warfield
Teaching PhilosophyWhy Teach?
"Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable." - John Wooden
"Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome." - Arthur Ashe
I believe every human being has the capacity for success.
I want to give my students the drive and confidence to become successful.
The following, often misattributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, best reflects my standards of success:
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreicate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success." - Bessie A Stanley
Education vs Learning
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically." - Martin Luther King, Jr.My goal is that students leave my classroom having thought and thought hard. I love the way Dr. King defines education. Life does not often require that we provide the appropriate fact on command but we are often asked to reason ourself through a situation similar to one we have previously encountered.
"Never memorize something that you can look up." - Albert Einstein
Learning is defined as "the acquisition of knowledge". It sometimes feels to me that too much of education is focused on acquiring knowledge instead of applying it.
I like to think of myself as an educator.
Preparation for the Work Place
The US Department of Labor collected data as the new millenium approached regarding the qualities of the US worker in the 21st century.Here are the five attributes employers rated as the most valuable:
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- Show Up Every Day
- Be On Time
- Be Ready To Work
- Be Willing To Learn
- Maintain A Good Attitude
Inspiring students to display them with consistency has proved one of the great challenges of my educational career.