Educational Philosophy
My Beliefs
The idea of education is a vital aspect for all people to obtain in life. People need an education in order to grow and become working members of the world. Education is the process of learning or teaching the knowledge that is necessary to know in a lifetime. This notion is crucial in order for the universe to function. Therefore, a school is a place where students learn this essential knowledge from a leader that will reside within the pupil forever. I believe that schools should be a place where students are free to actively learn and cultivate knowledge through experience. This way, students will become problem solvers who embrace awareness and intellectual curiosity. My philosophy of education is to raise active learners, thus developing an influential and successful future generation.
Why I Wish to Educate
Teaching is a very involved profession that requires a lot of interaction with others. I aspire to be an educator because I enjoy communicating with people. I wish to inspire others to find their passion and learn not only the content area, but to learn about their selves as well. I believe the role of the teacher is to benefit students and get them ready for life outside of school. I desire to provide students inspiration and influence them to live a life they want to live. When I am an educator I will make it clear to all of my students that they can come to me for any type of help or support. I will supply them with the tools they need to be successful in the literary or theatrical world. These two subjects will allow the students to be successful in many other areas as reading and writing are found in every concentration. My background in theatre will also allow my students to better understand themselves and gain more confidence when speaking or performing in front of people. My future students will experience an active education that will allow them to learn about the world around them and how to be successful in it. My philosophy of education will prepare students to be valuable people outside of their educational lives.
Students Today
Students today have very different styles of learning. Many enjoy learning visually, verbally, physically, through technology, and the list goes on. Thus, the teacher must accommodate for all of these various methods of learning. Much of the students of today’s generation have a negative attitude about school. Therefore it is the teacher’s job to make learning enjoyable and relatable. Through my philosophy, students will become actively engaged in the curriculum and idea of education and what it will do for their futures.
A Progressive Approach of Learning
I plan to formulate an active education for all students. To do this, I will need to employ appropriate philosophical orientations into my teaching methods. These orientations must provide a strong sense of activity based learning and reason. One philosophy that fulfills these requirements is Progressivism. Progressivism is a form of education that emphasizes the concept of learning by doing. The curriculum is formulated through a flexible and integrated study of academic subjects centered on the students’ needs. The Progressive purpose is entirely concerning the student. Progressives realize that pupils are active rather than passive. In the book Issues and Alternatives in Educational Philosophy, the author states, “Students are dynamic beings who naturally want to learn and will learn if they are not frustrated in their learning by adults and authorities who seek to impose their wills and goals upon them” (Knight 105). This allows the student to became active leaders. John Dewey advised teachers to give the students direction in activities, however not to be too much of an authority figure. This results in a greater connection and trust between the teacher and the student. The Progressive’s principles also advocate for a hands-on learning experience. Knight states, “Classroom activity should focus on problem solving rather than on artificial methods of teaching subject matter”(Knight 106). I believe that this is a sufficient system because it grants students to become problem solvers and become familiar with common matters found outside of the classroom, rather than solely found in a textbook. This allows students to become better prepared for the world. It is easy to merely retain knowledge, however the Progressives use that knowledge to assist them in future experiences.
A Humanist Way of Learning
Another sufficient philosophy of teaching is one that integrates self-actualization and the Progressive principles within education. This is the Humanist orientation. This philosophy is the merging of Progressivism and Existentialism, which main focus is to allow students’ to determine the direction of learning. The Humanist theory helps students develop and discover his or her self and maximum potential. Knight describes, “Hence, the fundamental purpose of education for the humanists centered on self-actualization rather than a mastery of knowledge as an end in itself. As a result, openness, the use of imagination, and experimentation in fantasy were encouraged…” (Knight 110). Humanists believe in the uniqueness of individual, therefore this must be lead by a fellow distinctive individual. The role of the teacher in a Humanist perspective is to be a guide, fellow learner, and to trust student to do the respectable deed. I believe that this is a proper form of teaching because it allows the student to feel free to discover their selves through the use of imagination in schools. Humanism also provides a healthy student- teacher relationship. The teacher acts as a life couch, rather than an unpleasant authoritative figure. This is the form of teacher I wish to be.
An Ideal Learning Environment
My philosophy of education essentially describes how I wish to formulate my classroom. Through this philosophy students will become prepared for life. The Progressive and Humanist orientations advocate for an education that includes self-actualization and will guide me in creating an ideal learning environment. My philosophy will allow for students to have respectable values and succeed in life.
References
Knight, George. (2008). Issues and Alternatives in Educational Philosophy. Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press.
The idea of education is a vital aspect for all people to obtain in life. People need an education in order to grow and become working members of the world. Education is the process of learning or teaching the knowledge that is necessary to know in a lifetime. This notion is crucial in order for the universe to function. Therefore, a school is a place where students learn this essential knowledge from a leader that will reside within the pupil forever. I believe that schools should be a place where students are free to actively learn and cultivate knowledge through experience. This way, students will become problem solvers who embrace awareness and intellectual curiosity. My philosophy of education is to raise active learners, thus developing an influential and successful future generation.
Why I Wish to Educate
Teaching is a very involved profession that requires a lot of interaction with others. I aspire to be an educator because I enjoy communicating with people. I wish to inspire others to find their passion and learn not only the content area, but to learn about their selves as well. I believe the role of the teacher is to benefit students and get them ready for life outside of school. I desire to provide students inspiration and influence them to live a life they want to live. When I am an educator I will make it clear to all of my students that they can come to me for any type of help or support. I will supply them with the tools they need to be successful in the literary or theatrical world. These two subjects will allow the students to be successful in many other areas as reading and writing are found in every concentration. My background in theatre will also allow my students to better understand themselves and gain more confidence when speaking or performing in front of people. My future students will experience an active education that will allow them to learn about the world around them and how to be successful in it. My philosophy of education will prepare students to be valuable people outside of their educational lives.
Students Today
Students today have very different styles of learning. Many enjoy learning visually, verbally, physically, through technology, and the list goes on. Thus, the teacher must accommodate for all of these various methods of learning. Much of the students of today’s generation have a negative attitude about school. Therefore it is the teacher’s job to make learning enjoyable and relatable. Through my philosophy, students will become actively engaged in the curriculum and idea of education and what it will do for their futures.
A Progressive Approach of Learning
I plan to formulate an active education for all students. To do this, I will need to employ appropriate philosophical orientations into my teaching methods. These orientations must provide a strong sense of activity based learning and reason. One philosophy that fulfills these requirements is Progressivism. Progressivism is a form of education that emphasizes the concept of learning by doing. The curriculum is formulated through a flexible and integrated study of academic subjects centered on the students’ needs. The Progressive purpose is entirely concerning the student. Progressives realize that pupils are active rather than passive. In the book Issues and Alternatives in Educational Philosophy, the author states, “Students are dynamic beings who naturally want to learn and will learn if they are not frustrated in their learning by adults and authorities who seek to impose their wills and goals upon them” (Knight 105). This allows the student to became active leaders. John Dewey advised teachers to give the students direction in activities, however not to be too much of an authority figure. This results in a greater connection and trust between the teacher and the student. The Progressive’s principles also advocate for a hands-on learning experience. Knight states, “Classroom activity should focus on problem solving rather than on artificial methods of teaching subject matter”(Knight 106). I believe that this is a sufficient system because it grants students to become problem solvers and become familiar with common matters found outside of the classroom, rather than solely found in a textbook. This allows students to become better prepared for the world. It is easy to merely retain knowledge, however the Progressives use that knowledge to assist them in future experiences.
A Humanist Way of Learning
Another sufficient philosophy of teaching is one that integrates self-actualization and the Progressive principles within education. This is the Humanist orientation. This philosophy is the merging of Progressivism and Existentialism, which main focus is to allow students’ to determine the direction of learning. The Humanist theory helps students develop and discover his or her self and maximum potential. Knight describes, “Hence, the fundamental purpose of education for the humanists centered on self-actualization rather than a mastery of knowledge as an end in itself. As a result, openness, the use of imagination, and experimentation in fantasy were encouraged…” (Knight 110). Humanists believe in the uniqueness of individual, therefore this must be lead by a fellow distinctive individual. The role of the teacher in a Humanist perspective is to be a guide, fellow learner, and to trust student to do the respectable deed. I believe that this is a proper form of teaching because it allows the student to feel free to discover their selves through the use of imagination in schools. Humanism also provides a healthy student- teacher relationship. The teacher acts as a life couch, rather than an unpleasant authoritative figure. This is the form of teacher I wish to be.
An Ideal Learning Environment
My philosophy of education essentially describes how I wish to formulate my classroom. Through this philosophy students will become prepared for life. The Progressive and Humanist orientations advocate for an education that includes self-actualization and will guide me in creating an ideal learning environment. My philosophy will allow for students to have respectable values and succeed in life.
References
Knight, George. (2008). Issues and Alternatives in Educational Philosophy. Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press.