Reflection Paper On Educational Philosophy

I have known my entire life that I would one day be a teacher. I have always been a leader. I have always felt as if I should be the boss, the one in control. Just ask my parents. Then once I got the opportunity to counsel summer camps and be the volunteer assistant coach for a basketball team. I knew my hear and my dedication was with children. So I am pursuing an education profession. I will be a teacher.

As postmodern educators feel their way through an ever changing multicultural classroom environment, it is imperative that each hold firmly to their philosophical positions and do not let society influence them in a negative way. At the same time all teachers should be continually reflecting inwardly to make oneself accountable to their profession.

pag. Association for Childhood Education International Elementary Education Standards and Supporting Explanation. 2007. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Throughout education there are six main philosophies to take into consideration, and they are as followed. From a teacher centered classroom approach they include Essentialism, Behaviorism, and lastly Positivism. In a student centered classroom approach they are Progressivism, Humanism, and Constructivism. What do these terms mean? Essentialism is and educational philosophy that there is a common core of information and skills that an educated person must have. Behaviorism is a psychological theory and educational philosophy that asserts that behaviors represent the essence of a person and that all behaviors can be explained. A person acts the way they do for a reason. Finally positivism is a social theory and educational philosophy that limits truth and knowledge to what is observed and measured. These are all important for a teacher to take into consideration. Progressivism is an educational philosophy that emphasizes that ideas should be tested by experiments and that learning is better developed in questions developed by the learner. Humanism is an

Every student has the right to learn and succeed, to expect a fair treatment and be respected. I believe education must help students develop physically, intellectually, socially, and morally. I believe we as teachers should only guide and help students though the learning process. Learning takes place in many different circumstances and contexts. Although everyone is capable of learning, a student's desire to learn is a vital pre-condition to effectively mastering new concepts and skills. Accommodating different learning styles creates an atmosphere that is conducive to learning because not all students learn in the same way. It is important for a teacher to develop a consistent, fair, and inviting environment for all their students.

My personal philosophy of education is a combination of at least four of the seven theories represented in the textbook, and my personal learning experience. I believe students need to learn specific information to be able to function in society (Perennialism), such as critical and rational thinking. Students can learn today by extracting lessons attained from the past (Essentialism), such as reading writing and arithmetic. Students can learn from doing (Progressivism), this could take the form of possible service learning projects. Students need to take responsibility for choices they make (Existentialism), by understanding the consequences that follow every choice. My personal experiences come from several classes in high school. These

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

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.

Amongst the many topics debated in education circles, it is easy to forget the choice of what we teach and why is of paramount importance. Critical reflection on the relevance of educational philosophers, both past and present, is essential to understanding curriculum choices. With regard to these statements, I wish to apply to this program as a result of a strong professional and personal interest in philosophers of education. More specifically, gaining a deeper understanding of behavioral and functional psychology in education can enhance my current work in many ways. The theories of philosopher’s such as William James have direct implications in my work. For example, by considering the role of acquisition and association of ideas in teaching and learning, I would be broadening my overall knowledge. Additionally, understanding the impact of interest, attention and memory on learning are key components that would enhance my teaching abilities and benefit my students.

Ever since I was in the seventh grade I knew that teaching was the profession for me. I had a wonderful teacher, Cathy Adkins, who was and still is my greatest inspiration. She was not like any teacher I had in the past. She was different. I call it the “personal effect,” because she just wasn’t a teacher, she was a friend. I know we are taught not to make friends with students, but it really does make a difference. I want to be the kind of teacher that a student feels comfortable coming to about anything, one that can take time out of there personal life because a student needs them. I want to make a difference; I will make a difference, even if it is just one child. Maybe that

Choosing a major is a very difficult decision to make for everyone. It has to be something that you can spend the rest of your life doing and should enjoy. When I think back to my elementary years through my senior year of high school, all I ever wanted to be was a dentist. I took the classes that would better prepare me in the dentistry field. There at the last second, I switched my major. It was first semester of my senior year of high school when my favorite teacher, Mrs. Fowler, asked me to teach Spanish to the kindergarten class at Piney View Elementary School. As soon as I walked into the classroom and saw the sixteen pairs of eyes gleaming at me, I realized that this is what I want to

As I reflected on the topic of the educational philosophy I wondered when I first realized I had a preferred learning style and what may have shaped those thoughts and that preference in learning. I can honestly say that it all seems to stem from my first experiences with athletic training, physical therapy, and my transfer to the University of Mary. As an athletic training undergraduate student at the University of Mary, I entered this program with great excitement and nervousness as I just transferred from Winona State. I was excited because I was going to have the opportunity to learn from one of the smartest men in the field when it comes to gait analysis, Myron Cullen. I had the opportunity of going to physical therapy when I was in high school and witnessed firsthand how these professionals, like Myron, interacted with their patients. This is when I knew I wanted to become an athletic trainer and I was excited to hear that Myron was teaching at Mary when I decided to transfer. Every class that Myron taught I felt engaged and challenged. He is a brilliant man and many times the information was way above my head and so I needed to ask questions and do my own studying to find out what specifically he was talking about in class. I believe this assisted me in the lifelong learning passion that I have today. I believe that his passion for the topic influenced my affinity for the topic and the understanding of the mechanics of specific movements. I wonder if I had this

I believe that education is the process of ongoing growth within an individual. This process begins at a young age, almost at birth. This individual is born with certain interests and powers that shape them. Through education these individual powers or interests are continuously shaped, forming new habits, ideas, feelings, and emotions. An individual will eventually be able to share their ideas, feelings, and emotions, and become a member with in the American society.

I did not spend my adolescent years contemplating what career I was going to choose and changing my mind every other week; I have wanted to be a teacher my entire life. I do not know why I originally made the decision, but, currently, I want to be a teacher so I can give back to the world. Deciding what subject to teach took a little consideration, but I made the decision fairly easily. I began comparing subjects I enjoyed and came up with math, psychology, and home economics. After researching the job market, the choice to make was clear. This country is in need of math teachers, and therefore, that is the path I have chosen. I plan to achieve my Bachelor’s Degree here at Concord, and then

Everyone has their own personal views on philosophy and they also have their own educational goals, myself included. Over the course of this paper I will discuss my views on philosophy and my educational goals. Furthermore I will address the nature of students; the nature of knowledge; the purpose of public education; my methods of teaching; and finally the curricular areas that I feel are the most important.