Personal Philosophy of Education
I would not be considered your typical college student in search of an education degree. I am a 31 year old male, married, with two children, and working on my second career. My previous life consisted of working in the coal mines till I was injured. My injury, however, is considered a blessing in disguise. My injury has leaded me to the world of education.
I have seen first hand the difference an educator can make in the life of a child; the child was my own son. My eldest son, diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, was unable to communicate. He had the opportunity to be enrolled in the early intervention program in Raleigh County. The first individual with the challenge of assisting my child was not able to fulfill her roles and think “outside of the box” to reach him. My wife and I promptly searched for the appropriate educator for him. My family was blessed when we found “Ms. Mitzi”. In the matter of weeks our son was able to tell his mommy he loved her. This impacted my life significantly and I wish to be able to pass on what was given to my child and my family.
I chose education as my career path because I hope to be able to make a small difference in a child’s life. Time and time again I have seen children being educated poorly and/or not having appropriate role models in their life. I feel that an educator must not only be able to convey to the student the classroom material, but also be a counselor, coach, mentor, and a parent. Failing to fulfill these roles gives a child the chance to slip through the educational system without having the opportunity to influence them to some degree.
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.
Essentialism is Essentialism refers to the "traditional" or "Back to the Basics" approach to education.
Growing up, I have always known that I wanted to work in the education field. I believe helping students learn and grow is my purpose in life. I believe the purpose of education is to see students develop and grow. I believe the role of the student is to come to school and learn new information that they can apply to their lives. I believe the role of the paraprofessional is to be the assistant for the teacher and provide assistance to the students. I believe the community plays a major role in education, especially the parents and guardians. They are a part of their child 's education and provide support for them when they need it most. Education is not going away anytime soon, so we need to look at what education
Educators have an influence on their students that will follow them from childhood to adulthood. In “Models for writers,” Rowen, Carl T. “Unforgettable Miss Bessie,” Raymond, David. “0n Being 17, Bright and unable to read,” and Murphy, Erin. “White Lies,” all influenced a life, however, one of them changed a child’s life for the better and the others could have turned a child future upside down. They still all had the same goals in teaching children, but not the same desire. When adults teach children, it doesn’t always turn out positive. They can either guide a child to success or leave them with low self-esteem and unable to understand a complicated world.
To be a teacher it is imperative to have philosophies on teaching; why you want to teach, how you want to teach, and what you want to teach. There are six main philosophies of education; essentialism, behaviorism, progressivism, existentialism, perennialism, and reconstructionism. My two strongest philosophies are progressivism and existentialism. Progressivism in short is the philosophy where the student utilizes their ability to access knowledge for themselves with a method they have discovered on their own instead of simply being told answers. This creates deeper thinking. Existentialism is the philosophy that the student decides how and what they will learn, they also decide what they think to be true and false. This creates
A career as an educator is often a thankless job. Hours are long, and it is nearly impossible to leave school work at school. As a principal, my mother's shoulders have been heavy with not only caring for students but also for her colleagues and staff - who are just as dear and precious to her as the students that fill your halls. In addition to advocating for kids, she has spent her hours advocating for her colleagues, filling empty supervision positions, and scheduling
I believe educators are one of the most important careers out there, without them where would we be today? Would you be reading this paper? Would you still be able to read, write, or have an educated conversation? Do you know how to pay for things at the grocery store, and know if you’re receiving the correct change back? Do you know how to tell time, so you can manage your day?
All six of the major educational philosophies Perennialism, Progressivism, Essentialism, Existentialism, Social Reconstruction, and Behaviorism are in my opinion feasible in the classroom. However, I have chosen Essentialism as the primary philosophy I would like to employ in my classroom for several reasons. Although I think all six would result in learning, which is the primary purpose of education, I think that Essentialism is superior to the other five for my classroom. I feel this way because it embraces the purpose or original goal of public education, it allows lessons to be gauged to all different learning styles, and finally because essentialism employs methods of teaching and discipline that I believe work exceptionally well with my content specialization.
Others of us might be called to be a teacher, teachers have a big responsibility, and teachers have the responsibility and the opportunity to be examples that children look up to. Teachers have the responsibility to guide students in the way that they should go. James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” In many ways education prepare students for their future career, thus the teachers job to help guide the student develop their gifts and encourage their interests to find their calling. This is a difficult job, there is no one size fits all program, children all have individualized needs, struggles and talents.
Of all the philosophies that I have been taught and researched in my Education classes, I feel that I will probably use Essentialism, the most dominant and widely accepted philosophy currently in classrooms today. For example, I think that after a lesson is taught each student should have to take a test to evaluate how well they have understood the information, and hopefully, be able to demonstrate to me how well I have taught the information. Mastery of the material should be practiced in the classroom. The student may not go any further in a lesson until the proposed idea has been taught and mastered.
As I ponder over my personal professional development experiences as an educator the realization of how one has developed over time is personally satisfying. Educating children especially children with special needs is a challenge within its self. As a teacher it is important that this writer makes a positive influence with students. There are going to be certain ideas that one tries to uphold and other discriminations that one will not allow. Everyone has their own beliefs teachers should do what is necessary not to infringe on others, but show children different way to think so that they have all the information needed to make educated choices. Children are open-minded they have not yet had to deal with or understand the injustices that they will encounter. If children are taught from an early age they will have the ability to succeed especially children with special needs as an educator my main goal is teaching the purpose of public schools, and education reform. It is my purpose to influence children and be positive influence.
Essentialism is defined by Webster as an educational theory that ideas and skills basic to a culture should be taught to all alike by time-tested methods. It has been present since the beginning of schooling. As time and culture progress, the academic standards for education increase and become more specific. It is clear that the focus in the vast majority of schools is to
As we reminisce and reflect back either on our childhood or academic career, we tend to have that one teacher who was memorable to us in some way - for their sense of humor, their stellar personality, or perhaps having that charisma and charm no other teacher had to make a difficult subject and it 's concepts fun to learn. While knowledge is power, I firmly believe that it is rather the exchange and distribution of knowledge that is power. When one can educate the masses there is no doubt that together we can accomplish great things. Becoming a teacher would mean the opportunity to be able to witness the shaping and molding of the minds of the future generations and the satisfaction knowing that you have helped your students set themselves onto the right path and provide guidance towards the creation of a better tomorrow. Choosing to become a teacher will allow me not only to educate my students, but also educate myself to be a better teacher throughout my career. I believe it is a function of human nature to want to change the world for the better. In adulthood, I have learned that the improvement of the welfare of the world must begin with
At some point in their educational career, almost everyone is inspired by a teacher. Teachers not only have an effect on the present life of the child, but they also directly affect who this child will become. I want to teach children in order to better their lives. I want to give them the social skills and communication skills they need in order to be a competitive force. I want to help them grow and reach their full potential. I want them to enjoy school and have fond memories of their early education years. My goal as a teacher is to one day be able to look back and say that I was once one of those teachers who made a difference in someone’s life. I want to be a teacher who not only prepares students for life, but one who, through education, gives a child “life itself.”
Teaching is not a job for everyone, but I strongly believe that teaching is my calling. What many people do not understand is that as early childhood educators, we begin to shape the minds of these young children. We are one of the primary building blocks to their education. What we teach them will stay with them forever, and it may not be just things within the curriculum. Although teaching may seem like an easy career, it is one of the most important roles in a child 's life. Many children spend more time at school with their teachers than at home with their parents. We are their role models, they follow what we do which is why we must be the best we can be. Teachers are the ones who prepare students for the future, we are the creators of future lawyers, engineers, musicians, etc. Schools are the place where it all begins, schools are the foundation and we teachers build on that foundation. I am a teacher because I want to change someone’s life by sharing what I know with them.
The process of educating children may seem like a clear-cut, straight-forward process to some people; however, this is far from the case. There are five philosophies of education (essentialism, perennialism, progressivism, social reconstructionism, and existentialism) that vary in their educational approaches. These philosophies can be grouped into two categories: ...
My philosophy of education is a combination of essentialism and progressivism . I feel that knowledge can be learned from a textbook, but I also want my students to use other means of knowledge. I fell in certain times, I should be the center of the classroom and other times, the students should be the center. Education is about the students and I am there to guide them through their journey. I think it's important to let children learn by exploring. By doing this, they choose what information is important and should be retained. When it comes to learning, students should always be in the center. The teachers are only there to mentor and improve upon a child's skills. In my mind progressivism with a mix of essentialism is the best philosophy for me to follow.