Philosophy of Education Melody Meade
Schools deliver a collective vision of education, so philosophies matter to support this vision. When we ask, “What kind of lifelong learner do we want our students to become?” it yields a different set of answers than asking, “What do we want our students to learn?” While both questions are important, have you ever heard a parent or teacher continue to celebrate a student's ability to spell or know their multiplication tables as they head off to college or to their first job? Not likely. Yes, balanced literacy and mathematical fluency are critical, but when asked what kind of adult do I want our students to be, I focus more on the dispositions of learning and the application of skills and concepts in meaningful ways. In our healthiest classrooms students see themselves as writers, mathematicians, design thinkers, artists, activists and scientists. This begins with our youngest learners, and their experience is critical; so how do we foster inquiry and healthy dispositions of learning?
…show more content…
When students have opportunities to apply skills, rather than simply acquire them, the process to create and learn can be as important as the outcome. When school environments celebrate not only the individual, but also what groups can accomplish together, students become interdisciplinary thinkers, artists, activists and athletes. When students are taught to ask big questions and identify problems, they become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers. When learning environments are developed in these aspirational ways, everyone has a role: students, parents, educators, our local and global communities. Education is filled with these rich connections where explicit instruction is balanced with guided
In chapter 5, Reforming America’s Schools, I learned many things that affect me as an educator. An important fact that interests me was that there are four goals that schools should follow. The first one is academic, including a broad array of knowledge and intellectual skills. The second one is vocational, aimed at readiness for the world of work and economic responsibilities. The third one is social and civic, including skills and behavior for participating in a complex democratic society. The fourth one is personal, including the development of individual talent and self-expression. This will affect me as an educator so that I can follow and do my best to complete these goals. Now I am aware of what should be done in a classroom.
“Learners will develop the values, commitments, and ethics that positively impact the educational community as well as the educator’s own professional growth.” (COE-GCU Framework, 2010).
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.
Students are only being programmed to know their major and nothing else as if they are robots with no mind for their own to improve on nor think freely. In the essay The Role of the Teacher, written by Irving Layton, he states, “A feeling has grown that schools and universities are not achieving that which they were intended to: namely, the enrichment of the individual's life by giving him the tools of self-improvement and the cultivated mind to use them” (339). Layton explains that our current educational system is not sufficient enough in teaching this generation of how to live a good life. The current education system does not enrich the minds of the students which causes a lack in creativity. Living a good life entails the education received from our schools of course, but as well, it is a life in which the society is developing on self-improvement and enrichment of
We will house kids who are products of all facets of society. For example, children of immigrants, children who have affluence, children who are loved and cared for greatly and children who may be in a situation of neglect. Teaching is about reaching out to each student, helping them to overcome challenges and be the best that they can be. It seems that an increasing number of these challenges may not be academic in nature. I believe that conquering these challenges actually beings with the little community forming within our classrooms. As teachers we have the obligation to teach our students how to have respect and compassion for one another. How to be on the same team and work together, no matter each person’s background.
Any student can learn the mere content that is lectured by teachers; however, it takes a truly determined individual- a student who is striving for success- to understand the deeper meaning of the material: the ability to “think critically”. It takes a great level of maturity to apply an education to one’s daily life, which is a characteristic I can truly say that I obtain. To me, balance and discipline are two key factors in life. Whether this is academics, sports, or extracurricular activities, I ensure that I give 100% in everything I do. I know there is a much greater impact on my life when I give every ounce of effort I
Rita Pierson, an American educator, once stated, “Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be” (“Every Kid,” 2013). Her comment is reflected within my philosophy of teaching. One’s philosophy of education defines who they strive to be as an educator; it clearly forms the way one will teach and guides their expectations for their students. Children are the future of our country. Therefore, I believe it is the responsibility of a teacher to strive to be the best educator possible by having cultural competence and pedagogical knowledge to effectively teach their students. This can be done by motivating students to learn through self-discovery based on their interests and what is relevant to their lives. It is a teacher’s responsibility to guide students towards their own goals to grow intellectually and personally as a unique individual. Accordingly, students will be inspired to use acquired skills and knowledge towards the real world.
There are several differing viewpoints regarding educational aims namely liberal, vocational and wellbeing education. Liberal education focuses primarily on education through the means of experts, such as teachers who have specific knowledge in subject areas (Marples, 2010). This form of education allows individuals to “improve their capacity to think and understand, and….to appreciate what is worthy of appreciation” (Pring, 2004). For example, it is argued that in order to have the ability to think mathematically liberal education is necessary as it allows the individual to learn the regarded concepts that are central to these forms of
The school environment is one that yields great skill and knowledge if taken seriously. In such a place, there is a constant flow of learning from all areas of the spectrum. Schools teach their students important social skills and how to interact with their peers. This art is one that should be mastered by adulthood and proves helpful when entering a career. Clearly, any school setting is equipped to provide its students with the opportunity to learn. This very action almost directly correlates with the success of the student in the future. Our society is currently one
I may often guide my students as they approach problems, encourage them to work in groups to think about questions and issues, and support them with advice as they tackle adventures, problems, and challenges that are embedded in real life situations that are both satisfying to my students and interesting in terms of the result of their work. I believe that learning is promoted and supported through collaboration among learners and teachers. As a result, learning become easy to occur in the lesson when we incorporate these approaches. I strongly believe that it is in interaction with others that children learn how to think. It is important to give students the opportunity to become responsible for their own learning, and this will allow students to be more likely to be self-motivated and develop self- efficacy. As students interact with their environment, they connect information learned through experience to prior knowledge, and so build new knowledge and understandings. As an educator, I recognise the value of the experience and knowledge that learners bring to the classroom context. It is my responsibility and role to provide experience that assist learners to further their existing knowledge of the world (Duchesne et al,
It is the duty of the educator to prepare students to live lives of quality and purpose. Intellectually, a life of quality involves being reasonable, adept, and thoughtful, and enables people to be good citizens of their community. Skills that will prepare students to live such a life include the ability to reason carefully, to think agilely, and to reflect deeply. These skills are attained best when students evaluate how others express their thinking and precisely what thinking is expressed. The students themselves attempt to express substantive ideas in clear and convincing ways. The teacher is foremost a model of that which is taught, which obligates the teacher to live that life of quality and purpose. As a model, the teacher is therefore able to act as a guide for others, serving occasionally as a source of knowledge but mostly as one who points the way for fellow explorers.
Yet even with these realizations that delve into the deeper meaning of education, modern education is still calling for simple measurable outcomes and continues to be geared towards specific employment ideas. This model of education is blatantly inadequate though. Many students today will end up holding jobs not yet invented in fields not yet discovered, so the teaching of answers to today’s questions is utterly useless. Albert Einstein once said, “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” and this statement reigns true throughout time. To continue academic success, the education system needs to impart a mastery of one’s own mind that allows students to not only answer current questions but also to pose questions that will shape the future world.
This network of support will help bridge the gap between school and real world demands. Educators will create meaningful learning experiences that are tangible, interactive and concrete, and have immediate and realistic connections to various career opportunities. With this planning and support, instruction will be delivered in ways that place students at the center of the learning process which provides them the opportunity to apply what they have learned to grow, develop and expand their unique
As a future teacher in today’s society and generation, I believe the educational system must accommodate the individual and the diverse needs of each child. Many factors should be thought about when forming a philosophy on education. Factors as far as the increase of single parent families and dual careers, the family structure is changing and this may play a significant part in our students. Furthermore, the issues such as teen pregnancy and drugs and much more, children are facing more complicated issues than they ever had before. A sound philosophy on education must be developed within the framework of social value systems. Our children are our future resources. All children can be guided to become well adjusted, functional and intelligent adults for their own benefit and the benefit for others in society. An educator should motivate and stimulate each child to perform to the best of their ability. Regardless of the various experiences, abilities and needs of the child. Therefore, all children must be well educated and given the opportunity
Education is important for our future. From the time children reach pre-kindergarten age to even adulthood, they are constantly learning new things. Without education, we would only learn through exploration. Exploration is wonderful, but having a structured setting and learning a variety of topics helps us to become well rounded individuals. In today’s school systems, children come from all walks of life. Some have very involved parents, some come from poverty, some come from wealthy families, and some come from families that speak a foreign language at home. With some students, stability at home is an issue. These students may face challenges in school that make it hard for them to excel like other students. Many schools offer programs for all students, based on their needs. These programs strive for motivation and success, they explore each child’s learning style, and they strive for diversity. Programs offered by the school are a wonderful way to help those students who may not receive what they need at home and they also help students who may have stability at home, but need a boost in other areas. Ultimately, there’s a program for every student, no matter what their situation is.