The Art and Science of Teaching

Teaching 2

The Art and Science of Teaching

The famous American historian, Will Durant was quoted saying, "Every science begins as philosophy and ends as art" (Durant, 2005). I think this is a great way to think about teaching as both art and science. In this paper I will discuss five different aspects of teaching and how they truly are both art and science. The five different aspects of teaching are successful classroom management, establishing goals, developing an educational philosophy, teaching methods, and integrating technology. In order to be a successful teacher, a teacher must apply the science of teaching and then use it as an art.

Classroom Management

There are many classroom management strategies floating around the educational world today. I guess you could say that those strategies would be the science of classroom management. Another part of the science of classroom management is that the teacher must adapt one or piece together a classroom management system that works for them. Taking time to connect with students, to win them over is the first step to classroom management. The big question is how to win them over (Deiro, 1996). This is when all of the science of classroom management in the world can't bail you out. The effective teachers that I have observed had an extensive knowledge of classroom management strategies, but with all of the different personalities in their classroom they used classroom management as an art to win their students over. The effective teacher makes classroom management an art and science when they know different strategies and then in turn apply the most productive one for a particular class and or student.

Establishing Goals

Goals are general statements of purpose that guide schools and teachers as they develop instructional programs (Parkay, 2001). Teachers use curriculum and state standards as a basis for setting goals for their classes. They also have personal and professional goals that they want their students to achieve. Each teacher has their own methodology for how they want their class to reach the desired goals. I would consider this to be a science as well as an art. In my observation, the thing that made teachers effective in establishing and attaining goals is that the effective teacher knew how to be creative when establishing goals and motivating their students to attain those goals.

Teaching 3

Educational Philosophy

In simplest terms, educational philosophy consists of what you believe about education-the set of principles that guide your professional action (Parkay, 2001). There are multiple educational philosophies available to teachers today and in order for teachers to be effective they need to master their personal educational philosophy. The aspect that makes educational philosophy an art is the professional application of that philosophy. Many teachers today could probably sit down with you and explain and discuss their personal educational philosophy very fluently, but if you visited their classroom that philosophy is not being applied very productively. An effective teacher's educational philosophy should meet all of their student's needs and be applied in a productive manner. The mastery of a teacher's educational philosophy is an art and a science.

Teaching Methods

With so much research on teaching methods today, teachers have a wealth of knowledge to pull from in today's ever changing world. Teachers must be efficient and use multiple teaching methods and strategies in the classroom depending on the situation and the goals they wish to attain. Parkay stated that as you gain classroom experience and acquire new skills and understanding, your personal model of teaching will evolve, enabling you to respond appropriately to a wider range of teaching situations (Parkay, 2001). Understanding teaching methods is a science, but understanding which teaching method to apply in a certain situation is an art. Another aspect is that as teachers gain knowledge and skills in the teaching methods they use they learn to apply them with precision, like a skilled artist.

Integrating Technology

When it comes to integrating technology