My Educational Philosophy
Choosing a major is a very difficult decision to make for everyone. It has to be something that you can spend the rest of your life doing and should enjoy. When I think back to my elementary years through my senior year of high school, all I ever wanted to be was a dentist. I took the classes that would better prepare me in the dentistry field. There at the last second, I switched my major. It was first semester of my senior year of high school when my favorite teacher, Mrs. Fowler, asked me to teach Spanish to the kindergarten class at Piney View Elementary School. As soon as I walked into the classroom and saw the sixteen pairs of eyes gleaming at me, I realized that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to become a teacher and work with young children everyday. The thought of having my own classroom and being able to teach the children so many new things gets me so excited that I cannot even describe it. I cannot wait to graduate and start teaching in my own classroom.
When I was in elementary school I had every kind of teacher imaginable; nice, crazy, mean, scary, loony, and cool. Each one had their own way of teaching, which I enjoyed. The problem was more about some of their personalities. One thing that I learned was that it is not fair to teach your own child in a school. I think that the child should either go to a different school for that grade or if the school offers a different teacher then that is better. I know not all teachers who have their child in class treat them differently, but still I think that it is unfair to the other students. I want to be more like the cool teacher I had, Mrs. Ivey. She was a very understandabl...
... middle of paper ...
...ished work and I will be there, by their side to help them if needed. To me, teachers are like guides, we walk students through steps of learning, and eventually one day the students will be on their own teaching someone else.
In summary, I plan on using the behaviorism, progressivism, and essentialism philosophies. I believe that these three philosophies are important in my classroom. The most important goal in my profession is to prepare children to be the future leaders of our world. I want my students to enjoy life, have high self-esteem and know that I will always be there for them when they need someone. I am going to lighten their lives and they will do the same for me. I know everything is going to work out this way because I will make it happen. I have set my goals; they are in my grasp, all I have to do now is hold on to them.
My philosophy on education is that all students should receive the most uplifting educational experience. I want to change a student’s spirit towards all aspects of their school and curriculum. Creating a sense of pride in themselves and where they attend school is a crucial element in their interest in education. A student should be allowed to form their own opinions, instead of conforming to the ideas of their teacher. This will be accomplished by allowing the students to take charge of their learning so that it will hold some significance to them. I feel it is my responsibility to help shape the students’ character, as well as their minds. An educator should model the behaviors that are expected from their students. An educator should practice ideal qualities such as acceptance, empathy, and broadmindedness. A teacher is not the only model that students will be exposed to in their life. This is why it is crucial to involve parents and other members of the community to share in your vision. Students learn a variety of social skills as they embark on their education at any school district. They learn to listen, take turns, hear different points of view, negotiate, communicate, and take responsibility for their own behavior. I believe that when students have those skills and attitudes; learning will be meaningful in their lives. The vision of an educator will not hold any meaning unless it is implemented, maintained and promoted to the school and community. The goal of the school is to provide the students with a wide variety of educational experiences that will encourage self-respect, the acceptance of others, customary behavior, life-long learning, and active participation in society.
My Educational philosophy is defined in becoming a teacher as a set of ideas and beliefs about education that guide the professional behavior of educators. Also included in educational philosophy are one’s beliefs about teaching and learning, students, knowledge and what is worth knowing. My five general purposes for philosophy of education are: to set goals of plan, to teach useful and relevant information, be aware of students learning styles, modeling positive cooperative behavior, to look for solutions and to make sure those solutions are working.
Education is a major component of our society. Each culture has its own traditions on education, and there are many different philosophies on education. There are so many people that are involved in the educational system, and I feel that it is important to express my own philosophy on education.
Throughout my entire life there has always been one thing that has remained constant—there has always been some sort of teacher in my life. During my academic career, there have been teachers that I have liked and a few that I have disliked, but I have always respected them for what they accomplish on a day-to-day basis. It never occurred to me until my second year of college that I could also be a teacher. I have always participated in activities that stressed leadership, I have been a mentor for numerous children through 4-H and other youth programs. In a way I have been teaching my entire life, but I had never realized it until now.
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 philosophy of education and my personal goals and theories about how students are empowered through their educational experience revolve around the student-centered, interactive approach to instruction and learning. My goal as an educator is to create a learner-focused environment that promotes the basic literacy skills - reading, writing, listening, speaking and thinking. Children are readers, writers, and thinkers who need language to question and understand. They become members of literate communities using language in real ways for real purposes.
The responsibilities that educators have in the education field is to teach our students the basic training skills needed to be successful in the future. As an educator I will be involved in classroom instruction, grading papers, taking attendance, planning lesson plans around activities, readings and projects that will not only teach, but also engage. Without engagement, students are not likely to have a positive learning experience. I will make sure that every child is envolved and no child is left behind.
I believe that education should be looked as as a desire to acquire all possible knowledge, not as a requirement or something that can be formally examined by standardized tests. There are numerous ways that children learn and I want to be able to encourage as much learning as possible for each child. I believe that using many methods of instruction is the most effective way of teaching to these various ways of learning. These methods include group work, hands-on activities, buddy work, etc. Assessment of children should follow the same idea. When children get the chance to perform on different assessments, they can adequately show their strengths and weaknesses. I do not wish to rely on tests only to assess the students in my class. Some types of assessment that I think should be inlcuded in a classroom are journals, presentations, projects and interviews. I also think that the classroom should be run with the help of the children. By distributing jobs among the children and everyone participating in the classroom, the students will form a sense of togetherness. This will eventually create a community within the classroom. I feel that this community of learners is essential for the students to perform effectively and efficiently. They will feel comfortable in the environment and will not be afraid to take risks or ask questions. The teacher will also be a member of this community and will not be seen as unapproachable or as the only leader.
Ever since I was in the seventh grade I knew that teaching was the profession for me. I had a wonderful teacher, Cathy Adkins, who was and still is my greatest inspiration. She was not like any teacher I had in the past. She was different. I call it the “personal effect,” because she just wasn’t a teacher, she was a friend. I know we are taught not to make friends with students, but it really does make a difference. I want to be the kind of teacher that a student feels comfortable coming to about anything, one that can take time out of there personal life because a student needs them. I want to make a difference; I will make a difference, even if it is just one child. Maybe that one child could change the world.
Education is the answer to all of the problems facing the world. Knowledgeable people do not take inhumane and unethical actions against others. It is only through the education of others that crime, poverty and hunger will be solved. It is due to the potential of education that has inspired me to be an educator. The ability to make a difference and to communicate my passion for literature and the English language is my driving force and ambition. Inspiring a disinterested student to read or write poetry is a gateway to creative open minds, which will result in a more civilized world.
Not every teacher is a good teacher. In my freshman year at college I had this English teacher that had a powerful personality but I learned very little content from her. Let’s call this teacher Mrs.
Becoming a teacher was not something I always knew I wanted. As I approached an age where I really started considering what I would like to do for a career I only knew that I did not want to work in an office behind a desk all day. I wanted a job that would be interactive, challenging and exciting. I also knew I wanted a job that would be important and would somehow contribute to the world in an important way. I thought being a teacher; particularly a teacher in the primary levels would fulfill those hopes and goals assuming I dedicate myself to becoming an effective teacher who has a positive influence on the lives of my students.
Right from the time we embark on our education trip, we come across different types of teachers. Some are friendly, some are strict, and some are the ones we idolize. We also dislike a few, who fail to impress us positively. Students begin to like teachers, according to their own individual preferences. They even classify their teachers into different categories, such as Friendly Teachers, Lenient Teachers, Perfectionist Teachers, Strict Teachers and Funny Teachers. All these classifications for teachers are based on some typical personality traits of the teachers. For ex - some teachers constantly criticize the students, some act like friends, some are fun to be with and so on. Let us explore them in detail.
I have had many excellent teachers throughout my educational experience, some of these have been wonderful teachers that have set lessons to life. Others have been boring, overly strict, unapproachable, and at times unknowledgeable. I have learned valuable lessons from both. A positive and fun learning environment makes students want to be in the classroom. The first step in learning is that the children must want to be there.
Children are our future and it is up to us as educators to point them in the right direction. I always enjoyed school and found it fun and exciting. As I got older, I only remember the teacher's that made a difference in my life. I want to the teacher that makes a difference in a child's life. Whether it be as simple as a teacher, or advanced as a father-figure, I will be their for the children.