My Philosophy : My Personal Philosophy Of Education

The purpose of education is to teach the basics of knowledge and to challenge each individual to learn. Education is a vital part of life. It holds a strong barring on who we are and what we believe in. Education also has a major impact on our position in society. I want the children in my classroom to understand how important education is, and I want them to leave my classroom with a yearning to further their education. While in my classroom, I also want to help my students find the areas that spark interest in them the most. I hope that I become a teacher who leaves a positive impression on every child that enters my classroom.

First, the purpose of education is to inform children of what they need to know to succeed in this world. Education is important to a student in a number of ways, according to Johnson (2015) students need to be active participants in learning. A purpose of education is letting a student be engaged in learning something different to them, something the students will need in life to conquer a task that is not known to them. Pointed out by Johnson (2015) students need tools and resources, these should be provided by the teacher and the student should learn and acquire them for their own purposes. Education should be not just confined in the classroom and textbook, students should be encouraged to explore and research information beyond that. I will provide my students with the knowledge that education is something they need to learn, and that it is useful in everything they do.

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.

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

When I first set out to write my educational philosophy, I had absolutely no idea what to write about, to be perfectly honest. So, I thought that I would start with the most essential aspect of an educational philosophy: why do I want to become a teacher? The reason why I want to teach is because I want to be able to impact young people’s lives and help them to learn how to become successful citizens in our world. I feel that it is important that no matter what students do with their lives, they are given a firm structure of practical life skills, so that they are set-up to be as successful and productive as possible. I strive to be able to help students learn how to become consumers who make responsible choices. This involves teaching the students how to build heathy relationships, make wise food choices, manage their money, and more. I feel that the purpose of education is to help students become as well-prepared as possible for what the real world is like, as well as assisting them to discover what career path they want to pursue so that they can achieve their personal goals. My role as an educator is to help students to develop crucial life skills and guide them to make choices that will benefit them in the future.

It is customary that on New Year’s Eve, we make New Year resolution. The fact is that we are making a set of guideline that we want to live by. These are motives that we seek to achieve. In a similar way, teachers live by philosophy. This essay focuses on my personal philosophy of education. It unfolds the function of philosophy in a teacher’s life, my view on the purpose of education, the student teacher- relationship and the philosophy which influences my views expressed. All of these beliefs make up my personal philosophy of education.

Dictionaries define education as the act of imparting and acquiring knowledge where the powers of reasoning and judgement is developed in preparing oneself intellectually to face life. To most of us, education is commonly perceived in a narrower sense where one has to obtain outstanding academic qualification to gain success. However, I am of the opinion that education also encompases life-long experiences, knowledge and wisdom that an individual acquires at different stages of life.

According to Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2008, pp. 1) “all human societies, past and present, have had a vested interest in education; and some wits have claimed that teaching is the second oldest profession.” No one comes into the world with knowledge, all knowledge is learned. Education can be learned from experience to being taught. This explains why educators are considered a big contribution to many successful people in today's society. Without education, the world would not have access to being literate.

Educating someone does not always have to take place in a traditional classroom setting. For some students, some of the best education takes place where you would least expect it. Working with children, in any capacity, requires you to do some variety of educating. This does not always mean teaching them basic math or reading, but how to be a successful human being that knows how to care for themselves and others around them. The purpose of education is to change the lives of several individuals by giving them new opportunities in and out of the classroom. Education also means to prepare students for the world after high school. This could mean several concepts, such as college, technical schooling, or job force. Education does not stop after we have completed our years of attending a traditional school setting, because we never stop learning.

Education is defined as the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university (Education, n.d.). My philosophy of education is inspired by my mother’s experience as an educator. My mother used to give attention to each student and treated each student with love and care. Students used to share their personal and professional problems with her because she used to understand her students. Students used to love my mother’s method of teaching, and my mother respected every student and peers, because she believes that to be respected by everyone, you must give them respect too.

During diurnal period in 1938, John Dewey addressed a room of professional educators and urged them to take up the task of “finding out just what education is”. In response, his own view on the term is presented in this piece as it is consistent with the basis of this philosophy. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself”. John Dewey, 1859-1952, philosopher, psychologist, education reformer. My ultimate goal is to teach ideas that that are so outstanding that they live forever, in order to find truths which are consistent. It is my belief that the curriculum is essential knowledge and skills and academic rigor that must be learnt by students in order for them to function effectively in society.

In my classroom, the purposes and goals of education are to develop a student's knowledge and skills for life. Also, to create well-rounded students, and to raise the bar of student understanding. The role of a student in education is to be involved in their own learning, to ask questions when there is a lack of understanding, and to work to the best of their ability in school. The role of the teacher is to be someone the students can trust and feel like they can talk to. But can engage students in learning, and be understanding of the student's different circumstances. I believe that students learn with experience and repetition. By trial and error, with guidance from the teacher. As well as, making their own decisions in their own time about learning.

The purpose of education is to support our students in developing the skills, the knowledge, and the qualities that will allow them to be responsible, contributing members to society, as well as being contributing members to the well-being of their community.

Within this paper I will show reason and support for the development of my own

My philosophy of education is that every child should receive high quality education that is inclusive, relevant and meaningful to their life. I am a firm believer of making pedagogy relatable to my students. My vision is driven by my personal experiences with the American school system. I was what is thought of as “A child at risk”. I am an immigrant, black, Muslim student. My life is complex as I am a part of multiple marginalized groups. Most of my teachers looked at me in a pity way. They always felt the need to feel sorry for me and to question my academic excellence when I performed highly on exams. There were numerous times in which a teacher asked if I received outside help with my work or if I needed extra or “alternative”