It is true that many educators do not know what their educational philosophy is. However it is imperative for educators and future educators to know their personal educational philosophies so that they can be accountable, explain how they teach, what they are doing and why. My personal Educational philosophy is made up of four components; metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic.
My educational Philosophy Metaphysics (reality) is a combination of realism and idealism, that the mind, spirit, and body are connected and that they should and must work together. God is the father of the universe. He created it for his spirit children who he loves and communicates with on a daily basis. Individuals are spirit sons and daughters that God made in his image. Our spirits dwell in a natural body. We are meant to interact and help each other in order to become Good and loving, so we can have joy and ultimately live with God in heaven again. We must train the mind, spirit and body to work in unison for good.
Knowledge (Epistemology) and logic go hand in hand Knowledge is obtained through experiences emotional, physical and spiritual. I believe that the will and mind should be trained through problem-solving activities using democratic and cooperative learning. Problem-solving activities also teach students to trust their senses and for them to make better decisions(logic). The scientific method is also a good method to teach. I believe that students have a desire to obtain knowledge for themselves, and that they learn in stages. An educator needs to be well educated and prepared in order to provide a rich learning environment so that when the student is ready, the teacher may guide them.
Value and ethics (Axiology) are eter...
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...ns from students would be turned back to the class in a kind non-threatening way, in order to have a class discussion.
My mission is to provide an educational setting for each student that includes motivation and self-discipline and to instill a love of learning so that students will become lifelong learners. I will teach students problem solving and decision making skills so they can become self-sufficient adults as well as good citizens that will contribute to the community in a positive way.
Works Cited
Rugg, Harold Ordway, and Ann Shumaker. [1928]. The child-centered school: An
appraisal of the new education. Yonkers-on-Hudson, N.Y.: World Book Company.
Senechal, D. (n.d.). Why do we need a Philosophy of Education. American Educational History Journal.
Webb, L. D., Metha, A., & Forbis, J. K. (2010). Foundations of American Education. Colombus: Merrill.
Labaree, D. F. (1997). Public goods, Private goods: The American struggle over educational goals. American Educational Research Journal, 34(1), 39-81.
Merle Curti was not only an educational historian, but also a pioneer in the development of the field of intellectual history. Intellectual history refers to the historiography of major ideas and thinkers. One central idea of intellectual history is that historical major ideas have to be viewed in the terms of the culture, lives, and historical contexts that produced them. This paper will discuss the analysis and evaluation of the historical development of American public schooling and what Curti meant when he wrote that the history of American education is a story about the quest for power, a struggle for cultural, economic, and political freedom and equality.
“There is a direct relationship between people’s basic beliefs and how they view such educational components as the nature of the student, the role of the teacher, the best curricular emphasis, the most efficient instructional methods, and the social function of the school (Knight, 2006, p. 41).” Worldviews make up the foundation of human beliefs, and as a result, human action. Our worldview shapes everything that we say and everything that we do. As teachers, it is vitality important that we recognize our deepest philosophical beliefs as they guide how we interact with students, how we interact with our colleagues, what we teach, and how we teach it. We impact our students, not only with what we say or teach, but even more so with how we teach it. Without consciously meaning to, we convey to our students what our educational philosophy is by conveying our values each and every day. Even as a teacher myself, I have been influenced by those who taught me.
... Education: An Introduction to Social and Political Aspects. 4th ed. New York & London: Longman, Inc., 1989.
There are many different philosophies that surround education. As with many scientific fields, there are people who lean towards one theory or in this case philosophy, over others. The quest for knowledge is something that people have been striving for sense the existence of the human species. Some have claimed that teaching is the second oldest profession in the history of the human species (Phillips & Seigel, 2013). John Dewey was noted stating that education is a necessity, basically because life of the human species goes on and so must its knowledge (Phillips & Seigel, 2013). Fundamentally, what this is saying is that information must be passed on from one generation to another. John Dewey was also one of the biggest proponents of the progressivism philosophy of education, which will be discussed in the following.
My view on education and my experience with knowledge was very sheltered until I came to Ball State University. My education was developed through private schooling from kindergarten to my senior year in high school. Throughout those eighteen years I was trained for the moment I am currently situated in today, known as college. Those preparatory schools opened my eyes to not only the act of reproducing presented material, but also the process of analysis and free thought. To my surprise from the school observations I performed this year in my education courses, I found that all school systems are not the same in structure or in curriculum. There are many ways to educate, express or unveil knowledge to the student. These processes all depend on one basic thing, which is what I am going to produce today. This belief is named the "philosophy of education." The student’s education greatly depends on the school and teacher’s practiced philosophies. A philosophy appears to be the one true belief that is constant in the classroom no matter what curriculum is presented to the student. An individuals philosophy is the belief a person lives by and expresses to their peers in society through their actions and spoken or written word.
Wilms, W. (2003). Altering the Structure and Culture of American Public Schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 84 (8), 606-616.
Education is a very important aspect of our lives. It is our education that makes us who we are and determines what we become. Therefore, education is not something to be taken lightly. As a teacher, my goal will be to provide the best possible education for my students. Every student is unique. I must see students for who they are individually and respect their ideas and opinions. Each student has a different learning style. I must take this into consideration because I want to provide a constructive learning opportunity for every student. I believe that every student has the potential to learn.
There have been many ideas on what is the purpose of education, which include the following ideas: “citizenship training, equality of economic opportunity, and reduction of crime” (Spring, 2009, p. 5). The Paideia principles states that education should prepare all students “to earn a decent livelihood, to be a good citizen of the nation and the world, and to make a good life for one’s self” (Roberts & Billings, 1999, p. 4). Spring (2009) writes that our country has had many transitions of goals for education in public schools from the Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge proposed in 1779 to the No Child Left Behind Act proposed in 2001. In 1982, Mortimer J. Adler’s Paideia Proposal used democracy to promote education by ensuring that the educational system allows young men and women an equal opportunity to an education and that they be given the same quality of education (Adler, 1984). The Paideia Proposal is a tool that educators could use to move towards the idea of a true democratic system in public schools.
Duemer, Lee, and Doug Simpson. "At The Crossroads: Altercations and Transformations in Philosophy of Education." Journal of Philosophy & History of Education 60.(2010): 184-190. Education Research Complete. EBSCO. Web. 13 Apr. 2011.
However the five major philosophies that have had the most influence on the American Educational System are: 1) Idealism, 2) Essentialism, 3) Perennialism, and 4) Progressivism, 5) experimentalism, with Idealism and Realism being the “principal philosophical sources on which all other philosophies of education draw” (Power, 1982, p.
I can not narrow down my educational philosophy to one area. I have studied the teacher-centered philosophies and I would consider myself somewhat eclectic, having a mixture of progressivism and essentialism.
Educational philosophy is no doubt a matter that has changed over the decades, and still today not everyone is in total agreement on the subject. However, one thing is certain philosophy is the foundation of educational styles. Today, four basic educational philosophies exist including idealism, realism, pragmatism, and existentialism. All four philosophies are very different, but all strive for the same goal, to better our education system. Although every teacher has a different style of teaching that can be considered their own, they all adhere to one of the four basic philosophies. However, It may take a teacher many years to master, and recognize their style as one of the philosophies.
Most people would say that what prompted them to become a teacher was a teacher that they had connected with and inspired them. I never really had this opportunity of aspiring to be like someone who has impacted my life. I never had a teacher that stood out to me or really tried to connect with me. Therefore, I suppose my explanation to want become a teacher is quite the opposite of the typical explanation. I don’t want to become like any of the teachers I had throughout my elementary and high school career; I want to be the opposite.
...e philosophies is pragmatism. Putting this philosophy into practice has improved the way of teaching in many schools. It has made learning more interesting and easy to understand. It is therefore of utmost importance for all educators to find ways in which they can use this philosophy in their teaching profession.