Running Head: PHILOSOPHY OF DAVIS 1

Philosophical Position Paper

Deborah Davis

Liberty University

PHILOSOPHY OF DAVIS 2

Abstract

It is my personal philosophy that we are each and all a combined product of our genetic makeup

and the experiences that we have from the moment of awareness. The Psalms remind us that

“thou has covered me in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13, KJV). The Lord created each of us

individually to be what He wants us to be. Consequently, each of those with whom we have

contact create and influence that alters our own understanding. While the influence may seem

mild at the time, the consequences may be far-reaching. As educators, it is important to

understand the influence we have upon our students, and they upon us. For myself, there were

three educators in particular who influenced my thoughts, my actions, and ultimately, helped

shaped my philosophy as an educator. The names may escape my current memory, but the way

they taught became part of my nature.

Keywords: Educational philosophy, Teacher influence,

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Teachers in my Past

Like all students, the teachers of my past have influenced my perspective on many things

both within and without the educational sphere of their supposed influence. While memory fails

the specifics of some teachers’ names, there are three that stand out as specific influences. The

gifted students’ teacher in my early education was Mrs, Petit. There was a high school science

teacher whose name I cannot recall, but I will grant him the pseudonym of Mr. Lake. Then,

there was a college English professor whose name I have chosen to forget, but I will refer to him

as Dr. Smith. These three teachers brought insights into my life that impact my personal

philosophy of life, as well as my teaching perspective which is, after all, a reflection of my

personal philosophy of life.

Beginning

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”

(John 1:1, KJV). Many believe the purpose of education was, and is, to learn to read – in

particularly to read the Word of God. Regardless of that perspective, the reality is that learning

to read is fundamental in education. Perhaps more fundamental than the act of learning to read is

the act of teaching a desire to learn to read. According to my parents, I was born with the desire

to read. By the time I could sit up and crawl around, I would find books and sit with them.

Turning pages gently and engrossing myself as if reading every word.

My father taught me to read phonetically when I was about three-years-old. By the time I

reached Kindergarten, I could read and spell far beyond my grade level. Apparently, I was

impatient with the teacher who wanted me to draw and would put the word on paper that she

wanted us to draw. If she said draw a house, I would put “H O U S E” on my paper. Such

precociousness was not always appreciated in my early school years.

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It has been noted that “the initial decisions teachers make about a curriculum initiative

may act as personal gatekeepers as they may lead to engagement or to irretrievable rejection”

(Burgess, Robertson, & Patterson, 2010, p. 51). While this article was referring to the

engagement of new curriculum, it is equally relevant to the engagement of the student.

Mrs. Petit

In the first grade, three students were pulled from class to spend time with Mrs. Petit. I

was one of them. In California in the 1960’s, there was an effort to recognize students who had

pulled ahead academically and foster their thirst for knowledge in hopes of avoiding the

troublemaking that comes from boredom in the classroom.

Among bored students, “acceleration meets the academic needs of high-ability students,

neither being insufficiently nor overly challenging” (Siegle, Wilson, & Little, 2013, p. 39).

Siegle, Wilson, and Little (2013) also note, “Despite the ongoing collection of evidence

supporting acceleration, concerns about accelerative approaches have persisted among educators

and parents” (p. 32). Such was the case in the school of my childhood. In 1961, California

decided the following:

Mentally gifted minor"—"A minor enrolled in a public primary or secondary school of

this state who demonstrates such general intellectual capacity as to place him within the

top 2% of all students having achieved his school grade throughout the state. (Ackerman

& Weintraub, 1969, p. 569)

It was under this ruling that my school placed the three students under Mrs. Petit for special

instruction.

In large part, the special instruction was advanced reading materials and discussion of

content. We did not realize it at the time, but Mrs. Petit’s encouragement in our reading and

PHILOSOPHY OF DAVIS 5

analysis led all of us into the education field at some point in our careers. Mrs. Petit had a

philosophy of capability. She never told us anything but “you can.” Consequently, we believed

there was nothing we were incapable of learning. She also consistently advised us that our

choices were our own, but our consequences went with them. If we chose not to read the

assigned materials, and did poorly on the assignment, that was the consequence of our choice.

There were no excuses in her program, only choices. We spent three years with Mrs. Petit, in

addition to our time in the regular classroom. There, we learned to learn and to love learning.

Mr. Lake

Just prior to my eighth grade year, we moved to a new school. I was unhappy about the

move, and the new school did not challenge me as had my old school. By the start of the spring

term, I requested and was approved to attend courses at the local high school. There, I was much

happier and more academically challenged. One of the courses I took that term was Life

Sciences with Mr. Lake. When the teachers went on strike that spring, I was upset that I would

not get to go to my high school courses. However, Mr. Lake was in class.

Many of the students were as upset that we had class as I had been thinking we would

not. One of the students asked Mr. Lake why we had class. He sat on his desk and explained to

us that, as a Christian, he felt it was his duty to keep his word. He told us he understood that not

everyone felt that way, and they had to make their own choices. As for himself, he felt that his

walk with the Lord was more important than walking in a picket line with his union peers.

“Throughout the Gospel, Jesus is depicted as a proponent of strict obedience to the law”

(Blanton, 2013, p. 393). Blanton, (2013) goes further to explain that Jesus would save His

people through His obedience to the law. While Jesus could have chosen disobedience, He was

committed to His word. It was this kind of obedience that Mr. Lake modeled for us that day.

PHILOSOPHY OF DAVIS 6

That class was 40 years ago and I can remember him telling us that our choices had

consequences. Hermann (2012) states a reckoning on evolutionary instruction as a hallmark to

“address the implications of those aspects on the preparation of science teachers” (p. 601). More

than evolution, it would seem the preparation of all teachers is inherent in their belief systems

and their character.

Dr. Smith

While attending Guildford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, I took a course in

expository writing. One of the assignments was to read a chapter out of a selected work and then

write a response. This was a weekly assignment and the readings varied widely. This professor,

unbeknownst to us students, was slipping in chapters from a novel he was writing. In this way,

he was getting feedback for his novel, ostensibly for improvements. One chapter I was assigned

seemed out of place with our weekly assignments.

While these assignments came from a wide genre of writings, this particular work was

vulgar, using elicit language and sexually explicit highly visual wording. Also, this work was

centered in my home-town of Los Angeles, where I knew the layout of the streets and the

landmarks. Many of those were inaccurate. My response to this work was harsh. I quoted the

vituperative language and erroneous locale specifically, and panned the work as a whole. To me,

it was a false portrayal of a city I knew well.

The teacher graded me as harshly as I had graded him. The result was going to be a

failing grade in the class. So, I made the choice to go to the dean of students and appeal the

grade. The dean read my paper, read my assignment, and spoke to the teacher. Guilford College

is a school with roots in Quakerism. The foul language did not sit well with the dean. My paper

was given an excellent grade and I received a good grade in the class.

PHILOSOPHY OF DAVIS 7

The teacher found me on campus one day and grabbed my arm. He blamed me for the

loss of his position on campus. He told me that I was unqualified to make any judgments about

writing, and his in particular. As a more mature person and an educator myself, I can recognize

along with others that “significant learning experiences during their studies indicate that they

were to a certain degree influenced by the contents of studies, their concept and opportunities to

learn from colleagues, teachers and mentors at practical training” (Steh, Kalin, & Mazgon, 2014,

p. 63), I know what a learning experience this was.

It was this experience that encouraged me toward a literature major, and toward an

eventual career in education. It was this, highly negative influence, that leads me to routinely tell

my students, “your insights are your own, uniquely formed by your own experience, and just as

valid as anyone’s. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Conclusion

We never know whose life we will touch, or what marks we may leave upon it. Paul

writes:

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that

planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that

planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward

according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's

husbandry, ye are God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:6-8, KJV)

It may be my place to plant a seed. It may be my place to water that seed. It is my place to

honor my Lord with my words and actions. Mrs. Petit, Mr. Lake, and Dr. Smith all contributed

to the philosophy I imbue to my life, my works, and hopefully to my students. “In every

situation, one must ask: What are the consequences? And is it worth it?”

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References

Ackerman, P. R., & Weintraub, F. J. (1969). Summary Analysis of State Laws for Gifted

Children. Exceptional Children, 35(7), 569-576.

Blanton, T. R. (2013). Saved by Obedience: Matthew 1:21 in Light of Jesus' Teaching on the

Torah. Journal Of Biblical Literature, 132(2), 393-413.

Burgess, J., Robertson, G., & Patterson, C. (2010). Curriculum implementation: Decisions of

early childhood teachers. Australasian Journal Of Early Childhood, 35(3), 51-59.

Hermann, R. (2013). High School Biology Teachers' Views on Teaching Evolution: Implications

for Science Teacher Educators. Journal Of Science Teacher Education, 24(4), 597-616.

doi:10.1007/s10972-012-9328-6

Siegle, D., Wilson, H. E., & Little, C. A. (2013). A Sample of Gifted and Talented Educators’

Attitudes About Academic Acceleration. Journal Of Advanced Academics, 24(1), 27-51.

doi:10.1177/1932202X12472491

Šteh, B., Kalin, J., & Mažgon, J. (2014). The role and responsibility of teachers and students in

university studies: A comparative analysis of the views expressed by pedagogy students.

Zbornik Instituta Za Pedagoška Istrazivanja / Journal Of The Institute Of Educational

Research, 46(1), 50-68. doi:10.2298/ZIPI1401050S