Essay on Educational Goals and Philosophy

Public education in America began in the early to mid-19th century with the simple goal of “uniting the American population by instilling common moral and political values” (Spring, 2012, p. 5). Our country was founded by men who designed the constitution so that it could be amended to accommodate changing political and social climates. They believed in the ideology of the American dream which “holds out a vision of both individual success and the collective good of all” (Hochschild & Scovronick, 2004, p. 1). It is with this same ideology that our public schools were

As a student of education, I have been able to gather many ideas and opinions about practices and ideals I want to implement in my future classroom. My philosophies about education are still being formed and continually change with every class I visit and with every educator I encounter. My ideas, admittedly, come from random experiences and intangible texts, but as I gain more experience in the field through my courses, my philosophies about teaching will become more clearly defined. These few ideas I have now will undoubtedly be added upon as I enter student teaching and my professional career, nevertheless, they are concepts of which I hope to never lose sight.

The nature of students is that of an instinctive ability to learn. Students of ages and all grade levels reflect their surroundings and respond according to their interpretation. Naturally it is not only the influence of a classroom that shapes a student but many outside factors that determine students’ goals and abilities; for example, healthy encouragement from parents. Students may find a natural ability to perform in one area of education and with help may fine tune their ability to better their understanding of other areas. Students have a better understanding of education when it is relevant to their needs and everyday life.

The purpose of public education is to enable students to be contributing members of society. Without it, the world would not be as we know it today in a very intelligent and complex society. Education is important in very many ways, probably too many to be listed. But I believe that among all other things that it allows students, by being educated, to live their lives in a way in which they can be successful in whatever they do. By learning about the trials and errors of those who came before us permits students to make well thought out decisions later on in their life. I personally hope to be able to better my students' lives by educating them about the overall curriculum and standards brought about

Knowledge is a very powerful thing, and to be able to deliver this to today’s youth has been a dream of mine for a long time. There are many advantages to teaching. I feel that is a very fulfilling profession. I have seen my sister in the classroom, and it greatly inspired me to want to make a difference in some ones life. Through watching my sister in action I was inspired to follow in her footsteps.

Public school’s main purpose should be to create a well rounded educated citizen. Many people believe that educations only purpose is to send a person off to college for a successful career. But education is a multipurpose path unto life. Schooling and education can teach a person a lot of responsibility, self worth and manners. Not every human has the mental capability to learn the same way.

I can still remember coming home from school after an exciting day in the first grade. I would go straight to my room, line all of my dolls up in the floor, and “teach” them everything I had learned earlier that day. But of course, not every child who pretends to be a teacher in his or her early years actually becomes a teacher. So although I enjoyed “teaching,” I never really considered it as a choice for my life-long career.

As an educator, living in a country where public schools are not as praised, or in the eye of the public, are not as strong as they are in other countries, I constantly ponder about the question: what is the purpose of public school education? Lots do not contemplate about the purpose of public schools, forgetting that this question is probably at the base of all schooling.

Like it or not, there has always been diversity among students in the classroom. It is the fact that each and every student is unique. From every circumstance, students bring a varying set of values, perspectives, and beliefs to the learning environment. Understanding the character of students is important in order to become a competent teacher. In fact, teachers should be aware and recognize students, as unique individuals, all acquire information differently than others. Some of these differences are due to developmental variations in cognitive, physical, intellectual, moral, emotional, and social changes caused by maturation and experience. And this reality of classroom conditions makes instruction much more challenging for teachers and

Do we first look at the purpose of schools as preparing students for the future careers, turning students into lifelong learners always seeking knowledge as our universe changes, developing morally sound adults in a democratic society? There are many aspects of the educational purpose of schools that has evolved as our nation has grown and changed. When I think about the educational purpose of public schools today, I look at how do we help students learn how to seek information, apply skills, and gain resources to make sure their needs are met while being a productive member of their community and society. The old saying “You can’t teach an old dog a new trick” is far from the truth and the educational purpose of public schools should be related with how we shape learners to be able evolve with our ever-changing

“The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things,” stated by Jean Piaget. Education serves many purposes; it helps a child open their eyes to the world, it provides curiosity and determination for a young adult, and it can provide middle age adults and elders with a spark of belonging and hope. To be able to achieve these purposes, the process of education must start at a young age. Singing the ABC’s to an infant, reading to a toddler, encouraging writing and math skills are a few steps towards all the possibilities a person could have in life.

In the field of education there could arise many philosophical ideas of each individual teacher. Many of the past philosophies have been and still are used in today’s education programs, such as the Socratic method. My philosophy will also contain some of the many philosophies of the past and possibly the future. I will state the nature of students, the nature of knowledge, the purpose of public education, method, and curriculum according to my own philosophies, which also may be based the philosophical ideas of previous individuals.

Education is inevitable. It is all around us because we can learn from virtually anything. When you are cooking, dancing, talking or any other activity you have actually had to learn several things to be able to do them. In the educational perspective, I am a pragmatist and I tend to follow after Dewey's footsteps. The concept of Pragmatism is one that developed in the 20th century. My philosophy is based on the idea that learning should involve real-life situations. Learning becomes more concrete to a student when they apply it to real-life situations, as where learning things that do not connect to them has more of an abstract sense. Personally, I would have to agree with Dewey when he said, "I

When understanding education there are many different ways which the purpose of education may be applied and defined. My personal philosophy of education is, 'educators must nurture/guide students within the academic field, to that the aims, goals and results during this task of educating or being educated are achieved '. This philosophy is used to understand that both teachers and students play an integral role in education. Academic performance, classroom methods/practices and also meeting the requirements of both the senior secondary Australian Curriculum Framework and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers Framework are examples of these roles. This essay will discuss in detail how my personal philosophy of education, reflects on the role of teachers and learners, the aim of education and the methods and practices used in the classroom. Jean Jacques Rousseau, Paulo Freire, Locke, and Plato/Socrates are the four theorists that shall be used within this essay, to support claims and justify statements regarding this philosophy. John Dewey and A.S Neil are two non-supporting theorists that shall be used in contrast to justify this philosophy.

Public education has many purposes in contemporary society. One purpose should be to teach kids basic skills that they need throughout life; this includes basic math, reading, writing. Along with this on a broader level I believe that schools should teach children to have a growth mindset. A growth mindset is important for everyone to have throughout life as it will allow them to be more open to new experiences and it will teach them to question what they are told. The ability to question the status quo is what allows people to express themselves and their ideas, it prevents people from being oppressed. Finally I believe that public education should teach kids to be excited about learning. Kids should not dread going to school, instead it should be a positive experience and kids should understand that learning happens throughout life and does not stop after K-12 education. To instill a love for learning is to ensure that children become lifelong learners. Public schools in the US today have strikingly different purposes than these but I believe that if these were to become our purposes then we would have a more educated and more aware society.