‘Developing my philosophy of education: insights from key educational thinkers’
My emerging philosophy of education is being moulded and developed through experiences, influential opinions, thoughts and views. In developing my philosophy of education I hope to study the highly acclaimed theories and concepts from well-known educational thinkers like John Dewey, Paulo Freire, Maxine Greene, Ivan Illich, Maxine Greene, Postman and Weingarten. The insights from these well-known philosophers will have a great influence on my journey of becoming a successful educator and especially on my developing philosophy of education. They're key concepts and practices will give me great food for thought in broadening my knowledge on educational practices and theories.
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I was raised in a very rural background where I attended a three teacher primary school. From the outset and throughout I was introduced to a very traditional education faculty. This sense of tradition was greatly changed when making the big move from primary to second level education. There was a very formal aspect to secondary level education compared to the more playful and joyous aspects experienced in primary education. It was in the early stages of my secondary level schooling when I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in education. It was all I had ever known after spending 10 years observing the profession first hand. I aspired to be like the teachers that I had left behind in primary school and even the ones that I had yet to meet on my educational journey. This experience of education, teaching and schooling is a major concept of education which is reflected throughout all the philosophers I am studying as they all share a common opinion that experience is a fundamental aspect in an educational
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.
My philosophy of education would include a classroom that supports creativity and gives students an opportunity to explore the world in the confines of four walls. Knowledge results from countless experiences and interactions throughout an individual’s lifetime. I believe the purpose of education is to allow students to discover who they are through exploring who has come before them, and what is possible for them in the future. Formal education should provide students with more than a foundation in basic disciplines. It should develop skills that will facilitate living and working in an ever-changing world; one filled with diversity. As a teacher, I would hope to illustrate to my students how vital each
The teacher can only dream that maybe he or she will be able to help a child to find his or her place in the world and make a change to the betterment of our society. In composing my philosophy I will share why I am compelled to teach and my philosophy in regard to the education process. I will also reflect on the professional aspects of my future career; as well as, the steps I will take to assure that my knowledge and ability to be an educator will suit our ever-changing society.
TEACHER ROLES: I believe that the teacher of elementary students has many roles. I will sometimes be a facilitator-guide, sometimes a supportive, nurturing mother-like figure, and sometimes a sage who imparts knowledge. I will encourage my students to become more self-aware and self-managing. I believe that elementary school teachers must focus significant classroom time on the acquisition of social and community skills such as mutual respect, cooperation, friendship-building skills, and kindness.
Ever since I was a little girl I had this dream of being a teacher. Whether it was making up “pretend” tests or having my younger brother sit through my instruction, I knew that I was a born teacher. And now that I have grown and matured into a responsible young woman, I feel that my place in this world is in the classroom. I feel that the children are our future and we should teach them everything we know to the best of our abilities. Every summer since the age of 13, I have been babysitting for local families in my small hometown of Pineville. In fact, 2 years ago I had been babysitting for a Optometrist and his wife and they were expecting their second child. As an honor, they asked if they
I believe that education is an individual, unique experience for every student who enters a classroom. In order for children to benefit from what schools offer, I think that teachers must fully understand the importance of their job. First, I believe that teachers must consider teaching to be a lifestyle, not a mere forty-hour-a-week job, because a teacher's goals for his/her students encompass much more than relaying out-of-context facts to passive students. As professionals entrusted with the education of young minds, teachers must facilitate learning and growth academically, personally, and ethically. By providing a quality education to each individual in one's classroom, a teacher equips children
To be an effective educator, I believe one must have a foundation of moral and ethical principles. An educator should support the learning environment, while being flexible and teachable. He or she must also lay a foundation of beliefs on how individuals learn, seeking to enable individuals to reach their optimal potential. My personal educational philosophy begins with believing all children are unique individuals, with different emotions and different styles of learning. An educator has the incredible challenge of attempting to meet those needs. As an educator, I believe all children deserve the opportunity and resources that would better enable them to reach their maximum potential.
For me, the decision to become a teacher is more of a way of life than a career. I have always loved school, practicing at being school marm from a young age, and voraciously devouring every shred of education offered me in my career as a student. If it were possible, I would be a student for the rest of my life. And then I still would not have learned enough. As a teacher, I hope to instill this appetite for knowledge in secondary students. They are, after all, the future leaders of the world, and what better place to expand the minds of the generations to come than here in Appalachia where education programs, especially the sciences, which I plan to teach, are poorly funded and children’s dreams
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Angelou, 2009) This is a truth that I have witnessed firsthand. As a child, at the tender age of seven years, I was blessed with an educator, Mrs. Cager, whose commitment to her students was so profound until I have never forgotten her. She made me feel like I was the most important person in her classroom. Her encouraging words instilled a level of confidence within me that I still cling to and apply more than 40 years later. Her commitment is directly responsible for my personal philosophy of education also being commitment.
For many individuals, choosing a career is one of the hardest decisions to be faced with. The majority of students in college spend their first year stressing about what they are going to do with the rest of their life. I, fortunately, have known since I was in middle school that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. As a future teacher I feel that essentialism and progressivism are going to be my unique philosophies of education.
Education entails individual human development in the cognitive, emotional, creative and social areas. All children are entitled to a free education regardless of race, cultural background or handicaps. For education to be an effective part of the students life, the student and teacher must be actively and enthusiastically involved in learning. A teacher needs to be well prepared and organized. They need to know the perspective goals for each student and ways to achieve these goals. Teachers need to work with students to help them grow and develop ways to use their knowledge.
"Some people make things happen, some watch while things happen, and some wonder ‘what happened?’ Which type of person are you?" author unknown.
Teaching has been one of the most challenging tasks I’ve ever encountered. Unlike other professions, a teacher doesn’t eventually become an expert in this field. With a continually changing society, teachers are often introduced to new ideas and concepts to improve their teaching practices. Likewise, throughout this course, I was introduced to many different philosophies and philosophers of education. While some of these philosophies confirmed my own philosophy of education, there were also beliefs that differed from my own.
My personal philosophy of education encompasses the rights and responsibilities of the student, the parents, the teacher and the community. Each of these entities are directly responsible for the successful education of the student.
Education is the process of learning that can take place anywhere and at any time. I believe that creativity and activity as well as books and lessons are essential to the learning process. As a teacher, I hope to instill in the children a sense of knowledge and self-worth that will remain with them throughout their lives.