Essay on My Philosophy of Education

Deciding that I wanted to be a teacher didn’t take much effort; deciding what kind of teacher I want to be however, takes much more thought. There are numerous educational philosophies, most of which can be traced back to one of four major perspectives: idealism, realism, pragmatism, and existentialism. All of these philosophical systems have an impact on educational thought; however, I find it hard to choose

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.

There are many philosophies to consider when preparing to teach. The ones I wish to

The role of the teacher is to expose the students to the materials and subjects that are available, make them aware of their surroundings, help each one individually through the process, and help them create in an open, free, and stimulating environment. I feel that by allowing a student to have his/her own individuality without pressure, it provides the perfect opportunity to be creative and self-expressive, to let thoughts flow. There is a lot of diversity in schools just like there is a lot of diversity in the real world. I believe that Existentialism helps both teachers and students realize this.

"Some people make things happen, some watch while things happen, and some wonder ‘what happened?’ Which type of person are you?" author unknown.

Existentialists believe that humans have created harmful ideas, so they can also create ideas that can undo the harm that has been caused and create a better world. To achieve this goal it is felt that students should not have come out of the educational system with the same information, goals, and values.

As a teacher, I will try to enrich the minds of students. I want them to understand the importance of education. I hope to serve as a role model and gain respect from all of my pupils. I trust that my teaching strategies will be inspiring, and my dedication and passion for teaching obvious. I hope that after every successful year of teaching I develop a feeling of satisfaction. I want my students to have an understanding of education and a positive outlook on life. I hope that by my passion for teaching I will have an impact on my students. I want them to walk away with a continuing eagerness and motivational drive to learn and advance.

Education is inevitable. It is all around us because we can learn from virtually anything. When you are cooking, dancing, talking or any other activity you have actually had to learn several things to be able to do them. In the educational perspective, I am a pragmatist and I tend to follow after Dewey's footsteps. The concept of Pragmatism is one that developed in the 20th century. My philosophy is based on the idea that learning should involve real-life situations. Learning becomes more concrete to a student when they apply it to real-life situations, as where learning things that do not connect to them has more of an abstract sense. Personally, I would have to agree with Dewey when he said, "I

Aristotle once said, “The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching.” Teaching enables students to gain the intelligence needed to excel in life. I believe that a teacher’s philosophy of education is a crucial role in his or her approach to leading students on their educated path. A philosophy of education is the set of beliefs that every school and every teacher stand behind. The certain philosophy that one chooses provides the answers to many vital questions, such as the purpose of schooling, a teacher’s role, and what should be taught in the classroom.

In order for a society to function, individuals must be productive members of that society. This is accomplished through education. The philosophy of education is determined by society. As society changes so does the concept of education.

The word philosophy is described in the dictionary as the search for human life. There are many different aspects of philosophy: ethics and logic are the main two along with aesthetics, epistemology, and metaphysics. I shall be discussing two of the five in my paper. As a professional educator, I have many different views that I will use for my long term goals and in my teaching profession.

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.

Although each philosophy stresses different things, they have commonalities as well. Essentialism and Perennialism emphasize preserving the past, whereas Progressivism, Existentialism, and Social Reconstructivism focus on developing students and society in the present. Perennialism and Essentialism have teacher-centered classrooms with fixed curriculum. William Bagley, the founder of Essentialism, held that, “Our culture has a core of common knowledge that should be transmitted to students in a systematic, disciplined manner (Parkay).” Most often, lecture style is used in Essentialist and Perennialist classrooms. However, Progressivism, Existentialism, and Social Reconstructivism are student-centered, focused on active learning. This curriculum fluctuates based on student interest and culture. These three philosophies implement exploration and problem-solving (Diehl).

Essentialism is a teacher centered philosophy that focuses on the educator giving information on what has been established as the basics of education at any grade level. These basics are the foundation for the students’ education, and are essential for anything to be built upon. Without the essential foundation being built and mastered by students in the early grade levels, it would be nearly impossible for them to be able to build further education and be successful without it. Most school’s curriculum is rooted in a group of basic concepts and ideas. “These essential subjects are reading, writing, math, and science,” as stated by