My Philosophy : My Personal Philosophy Of Education

When I started my career as a high school science teacher, I had no idea of the extent to which it would impact me and the path it would drive my life down. Many years before, I developed a love for science that began during my sophomore year of high school in chemistry. My teacher was a once-in-a-lifetime teacher that took a subject many found boring finding ways to inspire and motivate. This single class was the true starting point of the long, winding journey to medicine. As I moved on through my high school and college education I searched for a way to stay within science and continue to grow. The clear and only visible answer to me at the time was to be a teacher.

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.

I am a novice teacher who is still in my quest to identify my own personal philosophy of education. My goal as a teacher is to provide students enriching activities that facilitate learning through the in-depth study of a subject that is of interest to them. My current philosophy is a product of the experiences as a learner of the public education system. It most closely aligns itself with Theory of Constructivism by Jerome Bruner. Also, of all the educational philosophies I have researched about, I am most fanscinated by the theories of Critical Pedagogy.

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.

I personally believe that education is one of the most important things to achieve in life. No matter what it can never be taken away from you. From my observations and experiences in the classroom each child is unique in his or her own way. Students inside a classroom needs a teacher who will make them feel secure, comfortable and in a stimulating atmosphere. These aspects help to attain growth, mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. It is my desire as an educator to meet the needs of my students in any way possible, so that they are able to meet their fullest potential in life. Children are the future, so as a teacher I need to take all the necessary steps to get them to their fullest potential. I believe that the teacher should act as a guide, allowing the child's natural curiosity to direct his or her learning, and promoting respect for all people are conductive to establishing productive students of tomorrow.

It is true that many educators do not know what their educational philosophy is. However it is imperative for educators and future educators to know their personal educational philosophies so that they can be accountable, explain how they teach, what they are doing and why. My personal Educational philosophy is made up of four components; metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic.

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.

Education is about learning and teaching. Education has formed part of the human societies for decades and teaching is said to be one of the oldest profession. Education is all about developing knowledge, skills and values. Through this statement, I am going to explain my teaching philosophy with the help of philosophers.

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.

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.

It is my belief that, through education, an individual will receive the skills and tools that are necessary to build a life that is successful and prosperous. I believe that, as teachers, it is our responsibility to ensure that learning takes place in a safe, open, and supportive environment. This will assist students to learn the important aspects of developing and fostering positive relationships with others. It is my desire, as a educator, to help students meet their fullest potential by providing an environment that is secure, supports risk-taking, and stimulates students to share ideas.

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.

My mission as a teacher is to guide students to their full potential by giving them fundamental tools that they can use outside of the classroom. This mission is directly correlated to my philosophical orientations on how students should be educated. Most importantly, I believe that the student should be at the center of instruction; Moreover, it is valuable in a child’s development to know not only the curriculum but skills that they can use outside of the classroom like social skills, technical skills, or self-concept skills. Students learn best when utilizing their strengths; I believe that curriculum does not have to have a particular outline that needs to be followed because everyone learns differently. In

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.