Theoretical Foundations And Rationale Of School Philosophy

Education is one of the most important things we learn in our lives. As a future educator my personal philosophy is to instill the values of cooperation, fairness and justice into the hearts of our students. Students need guidance and support in many areas of their life. A teacher can make a drastic difference in a child’s life. It is important to teach our future innovators to think critically, help them to see their worth, help the student to engage in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Letting a student have a voice in what they enjoy and what class rules should be can result in a positive learning experience. Creating teacher-student relationships and supporting them in play, passion, and helping them find their purpose will help support them through their failures which are positive learning experiences. Progressivism is a philosophy that supports this type of learning. Teaching academics with a progressivism outlook, it can help students with their outlook on the democratic society. Students can learn how to create their voice, what they believe, and increase their knowledge to achieve their goal along with teacher support.

My philosophy of education is very much a reflection of my worldview. Although I wrote my philosophy of education over a year ago, I never had to write or even think about my worldview. When I started my Christian Worldview class and was introduced to what a worldview was. I had to think long and hard about my worldview and what is important to me, what influences me in the way I live, and how I look at life. This would come together as my worldview. My worldview impacts everything I do in my life. It is my guide and a reflection of where I came from, who I want to be, and where I want my future to go. It’s my commitment to my values, morals, and beliefs that I hold dear to me and motivates me to be the best person possible.

As a teacher, my philosophy of education focuses on the individual child and their educational needs. I would like my students to feel comfortable, develop their communication skills, and build positive character traits. Along with encouraging the children to grow in a positive way, I will treat children equally for grading along with providing them with the skills they need in order to achieve the most they can academically.

Philosophy means "Love of Knowledge.” One of the important means of getting knowledge is Education. Philosophers state different theories on education. Behind every school and every teacher is a set of related beliefs-a philosophy of education- that influences what and how students are taught. A philosophy of education represents answers to questions about the purpose of schooling, a teacher 's role, and what should be taught and by what methods. For instance, the mission statement of my school district is:

My whole childhood I always dreamed about being a teacher. During school breaks, weekends, and summers, I would set up a “classroom” in my basement and my friends and I would play school. I would be the teacher most of the time. It takes a very special person to be a teacher, not everyone is teacher material. You have to be very patient, kind, and caring of all students you work with and encounter through your day and year.

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.

Constructivism is rooted from philosophy just like sociology, ethnography and cognitive psychology. Already in the eighteenth century, the German philosopher Kant believed that a child’s learning was an interaction between the developing child and the environment. He believed that children constructed their own knowledge and understanding about things. This is a constructivist view of how children learn (Bruce, Meggitt & Grenier 2010). The child-centered constructivist approach to early childhood education has its

Rows of desks, students sitting up straight, raising hands to answer questions, cycling through a PowerPoint presentation, writing notes on the board. This is the type of education that I experience until I graduated high school. When I decided to go into teaching it was an easy decision for me to want to not provide this type of experience to my students. Early in the education program, Bud Stefanski posed us the question about our educational philosophy in the Foundations of Education class. When answering that question, I was 100% progressivism in my education philosophy students should only learn through hands-on experiences and not be forced to sit at a desk and absorb information (Mirah, 2013). After gaining actual classroom

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.

I have been in school for the past 16 years – including attending college and furthering my knowledge by observing other educators and their styles. Through the years I have seen and experienced things that I both like and dislike. I have seen a few philosophies that have stood out to me; that I believe I will incorporate into my classroom as a future educator, such as behaviorism and progressivism.

One agrees with Vygotsky’s approach to learning as opposed to Piaget. As one believes, Vygotsky focuses more on learning and Piaget focuses on development. Also learning is gradual and from my experience one cannot see sudden leaps in understanding when children reach certain ages. Rather, one has seen optimal learning occurring through social interactions in lessons, interventions and other support groups. Vygotsky’s theory also has a downside in that it is dependent on support and instructions to aid learning, but does not account for other styles of learning such as learning through observing and practical work.

Philosophy of education was an ambiguous concept till I enrolled in the Educational Leadership doctoral program at University of North Florida, specifically, EDF 7545 Philosophy of Education course, the first philosophical course I have taken throughout my entire educational journey. The course expanded my knowledge about education and the role of educators even though it concentrated on the key issues of American education. Also, it explained different philosophical stances of philosophers who hope to reform the American educational system to support democracy.

According to this theory, critical awareness requires recognition that the social status of an individual, including educational and economic prospects and opportunities, is largely result from its race, gender, and class so the critical theorists want to raise the consciousness of these people dealing with education, knowledge, the school, and teaching and learning. Furthermore, they see the curriculum into 2 parts: the official curriculum which requires teaching subjects and specific skills, and the Hidden curriculum which imposes approved behaviors and attitudes on students through the school environment. They believe that teachers should empower themselves, because they can transform schools into democratic public spheres.

Creating and maintaining a philosophy for any curriculum is a large undertaking. Philosophies set the tone, help create goals and maintain a standard for a school. There are theories, including nursing, that can help to support a philosophy. It is important to address theories and how they can support a philosophy as well as noting the concepts and goals of the school.

In order to truly understand a district or schools budget, one must first understand the schools mission and vision. Why does the school exist? What type of education and values should the student leave the school with? Understanding questions like these will help a principal or superintendent understand a schools operating budget. For the purpose of this paper, it is assumed that a superintendent or principal has been assigned to a district and will analyze the operating budget for the school year.