My Philosophy of Education Essay

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.

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.

I began my college education in 1987. I attended two full years and one part-time year before accepting a position with an engineering firm in 1992. I was employed there for the next nine years and was promoted three times. Even though this was a good stable career, I was not satisfied. I have always wanted to be a teacher. I never gave up hope and continued to take a class when I could. In the fall of 2001, I had the opportunity to work part-time and finish my degree. I am so excited to achieve my lifetime goal of becoming an educator.

The philosophical perspective possessed by a teacher has on affects the ability and effectiveness of their teaching methods. Therefore a teacher must be one who appreciates and respects education and formalized schooling. In the following paragraphs I will give a general description of my views on education. I will describe how I view the acquisition of knowledge, common student nature, what I believe the purpose of education is and my desired method and curriculum. Future teachers should carefully consider each of these aspects.

In creating an informed belief regarding diversity, one must begin by looking at things as they are, as they have been proven to be, and the moral value. As a teacher I understand how students differ in their approaches to learning based on their diverse needs and experiences. Due to these diverse needs and experiences, I will use a variety of communication techniques to foster inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in and beyond my classroom. There are four key areas that are essential to consider when teaching a diverse group of students; 1) the abilities of learners to learn, 2) the impacts of discrimination, 3) the connection of social ecology, and 4) how to provide a caring, fair, and equitable education.

I believe that education is the key to the future. What a student is taught in school prepares him or her for the world. Being educated opens up a variety of options in life. If students get the right information in school, then when it is time for a career, they will be able to succeed in whatever they choose. My goal as an elementary teacher is to set a good foundation for the students in their scholastic career, so that they will have the desire to further their education through college to obtain the needed knowledge for a profitable career.

“Teachers, You are the molders of their dreams, the gods who build or crush their young beliefs of right or wrong. You are the spark that sets aflame, the poet’s hand, or the lights that flame of some great singer’s song. You are the god of the young, the very young. You are the guardian of a million dreams. Your every smile or frown can heal or pierce the heart. You are a hundred lives, a thousand lives. Yours the pride of loving them and the sorrow too. Your patient work, your touch makes you the goals of hope that fill their souls with dreams to make those dreams come true.”

Students are the key to our future. In order for them to make sound decisions in life they must be able to understand the consequences for the choices they make. My goal as a teacher will be to make sure they receive the knowledge to make those decisions. I want to be a teacher so that I can mold students to be intelligent, productive citizens in our society. I want to be a role model, someone children can look up to and emulate. I believe I am worthy and capable of being a teacher because I am intelligent, compassionate, and of high moral character. I believe I can encourage students to become the best person they can be. To achieve these goals, there are factors I need to consider, such as:

I want to become a teacher for three reasons. The first is, I love children of all ages and want to help them in any way that I can. The second is, I want to influence children in a positive way and help them be all they can be, much like some of my teachers did me. Finally, I enjoy the feeling that I receive when a child's face lights up, because they understand something that I am explaining to them. That feeling is enough to make me teach, regardless of the paycheck.

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.

I can remember as a child being in the classroom scared to death! I remember being the little kid in the back that was scared to raise my hand, in fear of having the wrong answer. I can remember how my hands trembled when it was my turn to go to the board and work out a problem in front of the class, terrified that everyone would laugh at me.

There are five basic areas of philosophy regarding education. I am going to discuss the two that are nearest to my own educational philosophy. The aim of Perennialism philosophy of education is to ensure that all students receive an educational understanding about the ideas of Western civilization. They emphasize the rational thinking ability of students. With Perennialism they feel that correct and critical thinking should be the primary objective of all students and teachers. Whereas the Essentialist philosophy is the belief that all students should be taught a core of common knowledge in an organized and controlled process. Educators should prepare students for life with the sound practical education. The focus is that educators should instill good morale values, downplaying vocational courses. Essentialist have a firm belief of “back to basics” approach to education. Although both Perennialism and Essentialism have excellent ideas, they also have some issues. I read through both philosophies and found points from each philosophy that I felt would assist me with forming my philosophy along with the assistance of some very influential people in my life.

Methods educating individuals have been proposed by many different philosophers in diverse instances. I formed my view of method, curriculum, nature of students, nature of knowledge, and the purpose of public education, as well as my personal career goals from those philosophers. I took different aspects of the philosophers of Plato, Rousseau, Sophistry/Foucalt, and Pragmatism/Progressivism.