pieces from my philos. paper

For true change to occur, I assert that there must be a paradigm shift. As a pre-service teacher, I had always dreamt that all the youth in my classes would grow up to be relentless scholarly thinkers that pursue the tough questions in life, unyielding in their work ethic. While this may be true for a few students that will pass through my doors, it will not always be true for an entire group of learners. As I imagined a classroom full of attentive listeners and producers, excitement accompanied my own studies. However, in the course of my academic growth, I have learned that there is so much more to teaching than simply inspiring students. Reality says that these things are possible, but not without challenge. The paradigm shift that I have undergone throughout my time as a student has grown within me not only an increasing passion for my subject, but a passion for my students. I have learned throughout my training here at Indiana Wesleyan that there is no harm in dreaming about my classroom, my students, and the things I might accomplish. The harm is when I base my dreams on the subject and the ideals of teaching, rather than the students that I will be interacting with. My dreams, now slightly altered, breed new hopes of not only inspiring students, but reaching the unreachable in giving them skills that will benefit their futures, and instilling within them metacognitive tools.