My Philosophy of Education

My Philosophy of Education

A child’s education is one of the most important, if not the most important, aspects of his or her life. With this in mind, teachers are very influential characters. Therefore it is essential that teachers develop their educational philosophy and their educational goals before making the big step from being a student to being a teacher. I would now like to present my educational philosophy and goals. I will do this by combining the thoughts of Rousseau, Plato/Socrates, Sophistry/Foucault, Pragmatism/Progressivism and interpreting and creating it into my own.

First, I would like to share my thoughts on the nature of human beings. I agree with Plato and Socrates in the sense that most human beings (students) are not alike and are therefore sorted into groups. I do not believe, however, that it is my right or responsibility to sort students into my own defined groups. This proves to be unfair and provides no sense of autonomy to the students. In today’s society, mainly the students do the sorting process, themselves, into what we know as “peer groups”. This is why I also agree with the Pragmatists and Progressivists’ view in which they believe that human beings are social as well as experiencing, exploring, and thinking individuals. In addition, I feel that students are innocent with a capacity for good or evil and the environment determines their direction, as does Rousseau. Unfortunately, the environments surrounding children today are not always conductive for learning; therefore, I want to present my classroom as a safe, positive, and conductive atmosphere.

Next, I want to examine the nature of knowledge. I strongly agree with Rousseau’s view of knowledge. I...

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...the classroom and to begin building upon my teaching experience. I do not plan to stop there; I plan to further my education every chance that I get by taking more classes, going to seminars, and so on. I feel that a good teacher is one that never stops learning; one’s education is never ending. However, I have a strong feeling that I will learn so much more once I become part of a classroom filled with little ones awaiting my every word and watching my every move. Yes, teaching is a heavy responsibility and should not be taken lightly; but I am ready.

In conclusion, I cannot choose one philosopher that I agree with 100%. But I do think highly of Rousseau’s philosophy of education. Furthermore, with a strong education foundation, I feel that I will be able to attain my goals as a teacher through that of the various philosophies presented in this paper.