My Philosophy And Philosophy Of Education

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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.”
My goal as an educator is to continually learn, reflect and change my practices in order to ensure all students learn at high levels. As I stated earlier, my initial educational philosophy was behavioral. I was somewhat surprised to find that I still scored the highest in this category on my self-assessment. However, after further reflection and reading B.F. Skinner, I believe that behavioral aspects still have an important role in education today. As an educator I have a moral responsibility to help students learn how to function as members of a classroom community. Skinner believes that the environment of a classroom and school should be as “conducive as possible to students’ learning”. Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports is a model I truly believe in and have used with success with children. Through PBIS, expected behaviors...

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... those families in order to keep our democracy healthy. By providing quality out-of-school time programs, family engagement and support, and connections to other community institutions and agencies we can help children and families overcome obstacles. As I reflect on my twenty-three year teaching career and begin my new career as a literacy consultant, I feel I have an ethical responsibility to the teachers and students in my school districts in order to make positive changes for the good of society. Palmer’s quote, “If our experience in the company of strangers is to deepen our sense of civic community and help us cultivate democratic habits of the heart, the lens of compassionate imagination is crucial” (p. 116). As I embark on this new chapter in my life, I plan to put on my “lens of compassion” and will strive to be an ethical and moral steward for my community.

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