My Personal Philosophy Of Education

Although the IOM (2011) report contains a multitude of recommendations and potential solutions, the call for action is truly urgent for all key stakeholders including nurses, physicians, hospitals, universities, and so forth. As the healthcare field continues to evolve so must the nursing education system.

My overarching philosophy of education is a very simple one: intentional inclusion of everyone and creating a safe haven for all students. In order to accomplish this, the teacher should have a clear understanding of the goal of education, the role of the teacher, responsibilities of the students, roles and opportunities among parents and community member, and the power of knowledge.

My philosophy of education is very much a reflection of my worldview. Although I wrote my philosophy of education over a year ago, I never had to write or even think about my worldview. When I started my Christian Worldview class and was introduced to what a worldview was. I had to think long and hard about my worldview and what is important to me, what influences me in the way I live, and how I look at life. This would come together as my worldview. My worldview impacts everything I do in my life. It is my guide and a reflection of where I came from, who I want to be, and where I want my future to go. It’s my commitment to my values, morals, and beliefs that I hold dear to me and motivates me to be the best person possible.

Currently, I am responsible for managing the science instructional programs and personnel in a chartered middle school. As a supervisor for the department, I develop/source curriculum materials for teachers and collaborate with them to plan and implement instructional lessons daily. I manage the financial resources for the department and constantly monitor the teaching practices that will impact our organizational goal and vision.

While attending North Carolina Central University, I have taken classes that helped me develop the teaching philosophy I want for my future classroom. My philosophy is that no matter their background, all children have the opportunity or learning. Personally, I would love to see students reaching their fullest potential while in my class. It would be my dream to allow children with different learning levels, to be able to work in the same classroom together. This will require heavy amounts of group work, something kids need to learn for the real world. My classroom environment will be a judgment free zone. This will allow for students to freely express themselves and learn at their own pace. When teaching young children one must be prepared for all the frustrations, responsibilities, and challenges. Personally, I believe that all children are capable of learning anything, if they have the appropriate materials and motivation and direction from their teachers. It is up to me to ensure that my students are motivated and excited about learning new things.

The definition of curriculum can be as mysterious as the curriculum itself. Oliva (2013) described the hunt for the curriculum as being similar to “efforts to track down Bigfoot, the Bear Lake Monster, [and] the Florida Everglades Skunk Ape …” (pg. 2). All of these elusive beings have left tracks, yet there isn’t a single photograph to prove their existence—just like there isn’t one tangible definition for curriculum. Sure, there’s a binder labeled “curriculum,” but that doesn’t mean it’s merely a set of plans. Initially, I believed the curriculum to be something elusive; I loosely interpreted it as the information that should be taught in a given subject and the corresponding objectives or learning intentions. I believed that the “curriculum [could] be conceived in a narrow way as subjects taught (Oliva, 2013, pg. 3). What I was unaware of was the interdependency of curriculum and instruction. I learned that the curriculum is just as reliant on instruction as instruction is on the curriculum. One is “the what” while the other is “the how.” Now, I view the curriculum as more than just a framework of content and standards. It includes “all the experiences that the learner encounters under the direction of the school” (Oliva, 2013, pg. 7). The curriculum is transient. It can be molded, shaped, and restructured to meet the needs of the children

I have been in school for the past 16 years – including attending college and furthering my knowledge by observing other educators and their styles. Through the years I have seen and experienced things that I both like and dislike. I have seen a few philosophies that have stood out to me; that I believe I will incorporate into my classroom as a future educator, such as behaviorism and progressivism.

Every teacher has a different idea of how and what their students should learn. Therefore, every teacher has a different philosophy of education, and what purpose education serves in a child’s life. The five philosophies of education that we recognize are: Essentialism, Perennialism, Progressivism, Social Reconstructionism, and Existentialism. I would most recognize my philosophy of education as Essentialism.

I think when I made the decision to become a teacher I was not thinking the seriousness of this decision. When we become teachers we also become the molder that will shape our student to be successful in life. But when you decide to become a teacher in a Christian school you are not only shaping this student to be successful in life but we are also shaping their Christian mind to do things with a feeling knowing that they are shape and where made by the image of God. As a future teacher, I know that I have to embrace my students the way they are the way that my God created them and help them to explore this world through their life, their faith, and to challenge them to do things outside of themselves. I also need to help them to find their passion for learning and to make them realize all the gifts and skills God has given them that they can use in every area of their life. I also plan that since I will be working at a Christian school I want to make sure that my students will learn not only about phonic, math or history but I intend that they will learn about our God through this courses, too.

Write your Personal Philosophy of Teaching based upon your reading and learning in this unit. Refer to aspects including: attributes of an effective teacher, student engagement and motivation, catering for diversity (500 –800 words).

Teaching is rough, as rough as the seas on a stormy night, and calm, like that after a storm. To be prepared for all cases a teacher must have a detailed guideline and understanding of their own response and what they deem best. In creating such a resource now, before diving into a classroom, a teacher can have time to develop and broaden their philosophy of teaching—be prepared before they take that fatal plunge. So, in order to be best prepared for my future endeavors as an educator, I believe it is in my best interest to lay out a personal philosophy of education—a lay out that will aid me in times of need and a way to gauge change, progress, and growth through my Simpson College career. In doing so I will be prepared to be the best

The purpose of education is to help build young students into productive citizens. College is not for everyone, but everyone deserves to get the tools necessary in K-12 to make well-rounded decisions as an adult. I believe that in order for every student to get these tools, there must be diverse teaching strategies in all classrooms. Every student learns differently, and each student should be given a fair chance to learn and succeed. I firmly believe in LRE’s, and I like to make sure that each student with a disability is given the best chance to grow. Most importantly, it is my goal to make sure that each student is in a safe learning environment by using classroom management and organization. Educating children is more than just a job; it is a life style. If the teacher only treats education like it is a job, that teacher will hinder the success of that child in the future.

My philosophy of education has changed over the years of teaching to what I belief today. My belief of education is to focus on construct knowledge and personal experiences. As an educator, I try and encourage students to discover principles themselves. Numerous scholars have described education as being the key to a prosperous life. The most successful people are believed to be once behind a desk in elementary schools as teachers instill knowledge in them. With a right learning attitude and learning environment, students tend to strive for their education. As an educator, this is my philosophy of education and how it shapes my development in my career concerning the K-12 classroom.

I believe that progressivism educational philosophy most closely matches my educational ideals. In my opinion based on the progressivism educational philosophy, the purpose of education is to enable students to learn useful knowledge that has meaning to them in the future. Thus, the most useful education for students is the skill of “learning how to learn”. When students understand the methods of learning they will be capable of learning useful and meaningful knowledge for the endurance of their lives. Successfully educated students will have made the transition from having their learning experiences guided by a teacher to being able to

The learning experience should be that of a collective nature where students are able to indiscriminately relate to the information, re-teach the information and have a balanced incorporation of all the learning centers in society; including the home and the church. The goal of this incorporation is to create a balanced learning environment that facilitates holistic development in the young mind. As professionals entrusted with the shaping of young minds, teachers must facilitate learning and personal, spiritual, ethical and academic development. My philosophy for education is a multi-part philosophy that encapsulates the idea of holistic and inclusive learning. The philosophy caters for the overall shaping and development of the young mind and includes aspects of balanced training, incorporated teachings and it generally focuses on training students to become teachers.