Philosophy of Education

“A teacher’s personal philosophy of education is a critical element in his or her approach to guiding children along the path of enlightenment” (Barbara Witt). This statement shapes my philosophy of education. As a future teacher I am aware that I must possess the responsibility of providing my students with a variety of tools they will need to be successful in their live. There are four key points in my philosophy of education: teaching children, schools and the community, curriculum, and diversity.
I believe that I am a decisive element in the classroom. As a teacher, I will teach, motivate, encourage, listen, and be enthusiastic in my teaching. This will help students to become fully educated members of society, and allow them to make decisions on their own. In line with the progressive philosophy, the role of the teacher is to facilitate learning by posing questions for students that exercise their minds in a practical manner. I believe my personal philosophy of education is most closely related to progressivism.
I believe that both schools and the community need to work together to create a fun, safe-environment for the children. Educators need to understand that everything around students, inside or outside, affects the student’s behavior, feelings, and outlook towards their learning process. In my opinion, educators value both the character of each individual and the larger sense of the community in which the individual may grow and flourish.
I believe that a progressive curriculum has a strong emphasis on problem solving and analysis, for those skills is invaluable in today’s society. Progressive curriculum is founded for providing students instruction that ranges from basic real-world skills to higher levels of investigation and analysis. In my opinion, a teacher must guide students down a path of greatness and productivity by being current in theories and practice, while remaining open to new ideas for the classroom.
I believe that all students regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or religious background are deserving of an education. An effective teacher should diversify the instruction to meet each child’s abilities and needs by using various strategies to meet the needs of tactile, kinesthetic, visual, and auditory learners. I believe that an education should allow students to fully discover themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, and benefit from necessary real world/real life instruction. Diversity would expose students to cultures and experiences that they otherwise would not have had the opportunity to encounter.
Again, “a teacher’s personal philosophy of education is a critical element in his or her approach to guiding children along the path of enlightenment” (Barbara Witt). My personal philosophy of education focuses on teaching children, schools and the community, curriculum, and diversity. When a student succeeds at learning something that they are proud of, that is the teacher’s reward. Celebrate and appreciate!