Educational Philosophy
“I’m gonna be a teacher!” I remember telling my second grade teacher, Ms. Akers. It was time to prepare for Open House and we were doing projects based upon our chosen life profession. It was wonderful being in the second grade – you could be anything in the world. And I wanted to be a teacher.
That was nearly twenty-five years ago, and my decision still stands. Experience and maturity have changed my views on many issues, but I still want to help shape future generations. I believe our future is held in the hands of today’s children and it is everyone’s responsibility, and an educator’s privilege, to help children discover who they are and whom they can be.
While there are many approaches and disciplines related to education, I believe it is naïve to think that any one approach is all-inclusive. Just as several subjects are studied to make a whole education, several approaches, when combined, can create a more wholesome educational experience.
I agree with the Progressivism view that education must be relevant to the needs and interests of students and that learning increases when we are engaged in meaningful activities. A student’s full potential cannot be reached if his/her basic needs such as food, clothing, and compassion are not met. While we are not social workers, we can show the student that he/she is valued and cared for by the way we interact with him/her. Likewise, if a student is not interested in the subject being taught, he/she will be less likely to concentrate and learn. It is our job as educators to create interesting environments with stimulating approaches to learning.
It has been my experience that the Behaviorism approach of positive reinforcement is a very effective method. If we, as teachers, provide positive reinforcement whenever students perform a desired behavior/task, they soon will learn to perform the behavior/task on their own.
Children need to learn on their own in a relaxed environment and be given support when appropriate.
Personally, being an educator gives me a chance to have a great impact on the world. I have always enjoyed seeing the look on someone’s face when they make a new connection or learn something. I have many strong beliefs in the education process and many times feel that the needs of the student are overlooked. As a teacher, the students would be priority and that is the backbone of my teaching philosophy. I know that I am not very experienced and have much to learn. This I will strive to do throughout my education and even when I enter the teacher workforce.
I could start this off by saying I knew I always wanted to be a teacher, but that would be cliché and not a part of my story. Throughout elementary school I had no idea what I wanted to be, if you asked me then I would have said a princess today maybe a rock star tomorrow. I always enjoyed school and it never came across as the place where teachers were out to get you and the bigger kids bully you until you give them your lunch money. I was always close with my teachers, because the better we got along, the better I knew I could focus and understand the material we were being taught. I wasn’t the social butterfly, I would rather sit with the kid by their self at lunch then try and make the “popular” kids crowd. In 4th grade, a program started
Children are growing humans between who needs to be under adult supervision, all the time if possible. They learn as they grow and as
Webster defines philosophy as a critical study of fundamental beliefs and the grounds for them. In this philosophy, I will be talking about the three great philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. These three philosophers represent the birthplace of Western philosophy.
I was never going to be a teacher. My parents would tell you otherwise. As a child, I would spend my time playing school. I would write on my chalk board, create worksheets and homework assignments and take attendance. I would make my bedroom a replica of my safe haven. I guess I was destined to find my way into a classroom. I had also always loved to write, but I wanted to find a way to make money easily in the field so I thought journalism was the way to go. After the first semester of hardcore journalism classes, I concluded that the fast pace stressed me out too much. I worked with a career counselor to narrow down alternate fields of interest and all signs pointed to education. I took a generic introduction to education course and knew immediately that I had really come home in all senses of the
Mather and Goldstein (2015) stated that behaviors can retained or changed with appropriate outcome. Teachers can use the procedure defined by them to accomplish students’ behvaiour using the following outcomes. The very first step is to describe the problem. The second step is to adjust the behavior by emerging a behavior management strategy. The third step is to recognize an effective reinforce and the latest step is to use the reinforce on a regualr basis in order to change the
As a school counselor, my mission is to help students learn about themselves and develop in three areas; personal/social, education, and career. I believe that every student has a gift that was given by God and my goal is to help students identify those gifts and purse those gifts to become successful students and citizens.
To begin out of the countless professions one has to chose from in the world today I have chosen to become a teacher. I have chosen to become a teacher because I myself am a product of some whom I consider to be the best teachers in the world. As a child in North Carolina I was inspired by a wonderful woman named Mrs. Hollyfield. Mrs. Hollyfield taught me that no star was too far out of reach, if I put my mind to accomplishing my goal I could make it. Mrs. Hollyfield inspired me to be the best I could be at anything I wanted to be. As I have grown I have had other important teachers, some whom I am surrounded by daily whom inspire me to set out to accomplish my dreams. These wonderful inspiring people in my life have led me to the decision of becoming a teacher.
Before taking my philosophy self-assessment, I was sure my highest score would fall somewhere in humanistic or social change. I was surprised when I saw that all of my scores fell within six points of each other in all five of the philosophies. After thinking about this, I have determined that I have come to see the benefits of each of the philosophies of education and have drawn pieces from each one in order to shape my own philosophy of education and teaching. Behavioral, progressive and humanistic are the three philosophies that I scored highest in and I will attempt to show how my philosophy relates to ethical teaching of each in today’s classroom. In Nodding’s Philosophy of Education he says, “Thoughtful people continue to examine the old responses, to generate new ones induced by changing conditions and to reflect on current responses in the interest of making education as good as it can be.”
Progressivists emphasize in their curriculum the study of the natural and social sciences. They believe that teachers should expose students to many new scientific, technological, and social developments, reflecting their notion that progress and change are fundamental. Students should also be exposed to a more democratic curriculum that recognizes accomplishments of women and minorities as well as white males. In addition, students should solve problems in the classroom similar to those they will encounter outside of the schoolhouse; they will learn to be flexible problem solvers.
The main instance that I use behaviorism in my classroom is through positive reinforcement. I praise, praise, praise my students all day. Students who are such young learners receive much motivation when they hear praise and specific praise at that. It allows them to be eager to please their teacher and provides a sense of self-accomplishment. In my classroom, I also use a treasure chest, reward coupons and PBIS reward money as major components of positive reinforcement. At the beginning of the year, I teach my students my classroom expectations and that I expect the best from them. This includes all of their daily work, including journal writing, morning work, etc. My students know what my desired outcome is. Student’s behavioral efforts are measured and collected on a weekly basis through a behavior chart. Their assignments are measured on accuracy and completeness in order to help them recognize the importance of their effort in finishing an assignment. I utilize a rubric on many of my assignments in order to help them achieve their best. Their meeting certain standards on their weekly behavior chart allows them to receive
My beliefs and values about early childhood education is based upon understanding that all children are unique individuals who need a caring, nurturing, and secure environment in which to grow and develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. Children under the age of three are in critical stages of development, it is my belief that a quality child care environment will have a positive impact on a child’s development and make a significant difference in the life of a child and his or her family. My philosophy of early childhood education and the elements I believe are necessary in developing a developmentally appropriate child care environment is rooted in my views and beliefs about experimentalism, progressivism, multiculturalism, and the influence of philosophers such as Dewey, Piaget, Montessori, and Vygotsky. Furthermore, I believe young children will thrive and grow in developmentally appropriate child care programs that possess the following elements: (1) teachers who see themselves as intentional, responsive and respectful facilitators of learning, (2) the ability to build a community of learners, (3) implement an effective curriculum that allow children to explore their natural curiosity about the world.
Becoming a teacher has been the ultimate aspiration for myself since the first day I walked into kindergarten. As a very timid student, it was a difficult task transitioning from being with my mother everyday, to being part of a classroom environment full of strangers. However, my kindergarten teacher helped me through this transition smoothly, and adequately. I very quickly learned to love school. Soon after, I knew I would aspire to become a teacher. I would spend countless hours at home with a blackboard, acting as a teacher to my imaginary students throughout my elementary school years.
The future of our nation rests greatly on how we educate our children. The children of today will soon be the driving force of tomorrow. In order to properly prepare our future citizens of society, we must provide them with an education that teaches them not only the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also social skills and critical thinking. Progressivism offers this approach of educating the “whole child.” This student-centered approach to learning applies learning in a social manner and allows students to apply what they are learning to real life. This type of learning is much more meaningful than rote learning. Curriculum and assessment are based on the child and their level of interest and ability, and instruction is varied to adjust to different learning styles. Children learn by doing, and progressivism believes in incorporating a hands-on approach to learning. The teacher in the progressive classroom is not a dictator but more of a mentor and guide to the student. She takes the children into consideration in everything she does and allows them to offer their input. The progressivist teacher also facilitates social interaction among the students and groups them together for projects so that they may learn how to work cooperatively. Progressivism is the key to a more educated, better-rounded society.
My philosophy of education is a combination of essentialism and progressivism . I feel that knowledge can be learned from a textbook, but I also want my students to use other means of knowledge. I fell in certain times, I should be the center of the classroom and other times, the students should be the center. Education is about the students and I am there to guide them through their journey. I think it's important to let children learn by exploring. By doing this, they choose what information is important and should be retained. When it comes to learning, students should always be in the center. The teachers are only there to mentor and improve upon a child's skills. In my mind progressivism with a mix of essentialism is the best philosophy for me to follow.