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Melody Meade: My Personal Philosophy Of Education

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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

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