My Personal Philosophy of Education

Philosophy of Education

For me, the decision to become a teacher is more of a way of life than a career. I have always loved school, practicing at being school marm from a young age, and voraciously devouring every shred of education offered me in my career as a student. If it were possible, I would be a student for the rest of my life. And then I still would not have learned enough. As a teacher, I hope to instill this appetite for knowledge in secondary students. They are, after all, the future leaders of the world, and what better place to expand the minds of the generations to come than here in Appalachia where education programs, especially the sciences, which I plan to teach, are poorly funded and children’s dreams often fall by the wayside under the weight of everyday life. I don’t want to control the way my students think, but to encourage them to think in ways different than the traditional, to challenge their horizons.

As I stated above, I don’t believe that children are being challenged enough. I believe that students rise to meet the reasonable expectations set before them. If a teacher sets the bar a little higher than average and maintains faith in his or her students, then the children will rise to the task and feel better about themselves in the end. One of the most common complaints from students is boredom. Through the philosophies and theories I champion, I hope to combat this attitude. My philosophy is completely idealistic, with elements of pragmatism apparent. I also embrace the theories of experimentalism and progressivism. Teachers should be role models in both the classroom and the community.

As an idealist, I truly believe that every single student make...

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...orms are going to come and go, and are often necessary, but if teachers become instrumental in their construction, then reforms will be created that will benefit all involved without hampering the ability of teachers to educate their students.

Teaching is a noble profession and a journey of lifelong learning. As an educator I will continue to further my own education while doing the same for my students. Biology especially is an ever-changing field, and that is part of the excitement of teaching it to children. There are new and different things discovered every day: things that are wonderful, things that are painful, and things that have a deep impact on the future. This is similar to students: some are truly delightful to work with, others can be a struggle, but ultimately they are all important as people and as the next generation of Americans.