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EDUCATION:
Master of Arts in Education College of Saint Elizabeth (2007)
Bachelor of Arts in English and Economics Rutgers University (2000)
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This is my puppy. . . his name is Murphy. (He is housetrained and loves poetry.)
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This summer past, while visiting the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes in Alcala de Henares, Espańa, perchance, I fell upon one of the great characters of Spanish literature. My enlightening experience conversing with the great, Man of la Mancha, transcended both politics and chivalry, and provided me an edifying insight into another culture and another world. |
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SCHEDULE: 2007-08 School Year
Period 1 English 2 Period 2 English 1 Period 3 Department Period 4 Media Center Period 5 English 2 Period 6 English 2 Period 7 English 2 Period 8 Department |
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A137 H115
Library A136 A137 A137
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Philosophy of Education Education is a process. A process suggests a holistic experience, where the ends do not justify the means and the importance of the structure does not transcend that of the individual student. The key is the student. In the turmoil of modern life, individuals are sometimes forgotten. In the world of academia this conundrum uncovers an educational paradox, since the fundamental goal of institutions is the advancement of the young minds it initially set out to develop. My personal philosophy for education exhibits ties to the modern literary theory of existentialism: The beauty is in the moment. At any given moment a teacher can directly influence a student in a way that possesses life-altering implications. At any given moment a teacher remains unaware of the lives he or she has affected. Thus, every ordinary moment spent in the presence of young minds willing to learn becomes a chance to discover the extraordinary. Emotions link all individuals. Feelings lay the groundwork for the majority of human existence, and often times when young people explore channels of learning they examine their visceral connections in the classroom before they can feel the fabric of intellectual discernment. A wise man once said, a story is the shortest distance between the truth and the human heart. The reason this statement holds validity lies in the understanding that before the mind can comprehend the essential meaning behind a concept such as truth, there first must exist an emotional experience the mind cleaves to intellectual abstraction. Brain research suggests that human beings actively learn when the mind is building bridges of correlation. Connections in the classroom insure that students are not memorizing information, but rather learning how to critically apply knowledge. The goal for educators becomes the ability to refrain from passing on bits of isolated data that have the opportunity to get lost in the hectic world of maturity, and to continually strive to instill the skills necessary for growth, independence, and personal advancement within the world of adulthood. According to Robert Reich in his novel, The Work of Nations, skills that become essential to success in the twenty-first century include: the ability to think abstractly, the perceptiveness to decipher inherent systems at work in the world, the courage to experiment, and the patience to effectively communicate (with a tremendous emphasis on listening—the oft forgotten link in the framework of communication). —David S. Crews |
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English 1 & 2 ♦ West Morris Central |
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Mr. David Crews |
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About Me |
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Education is invaluable to those who thirst for it, and worthless to those who do not care. Seek the Truth. |