My Philosophy of Education

“Tell me, and I’ll forget.
Show me, and I’ll remember.
Involve me, and I’ll understand.”
-Chinese Proverb-

I consider myself a provider, mentor, motivator, and one who can inspire. In looking at the proverb above, it relies on expanding the knowledge of students from just simply textbook materials, to beyond classroom experiences. By instilling this philosophy in myself as a teacher, I can involve my students and inspire them to be successful individuals. My Philosophy of Education reflects my personal values and the needs of my students and the English department. An ongoing assessment of my teaching style, my students learning abilities, policies, and societal issues have influenced my profession as a whole. My philosophy of education relies on 3 fundamental backgrounds: Essentialism, Progressivism, and Behaviorism.

In terms of Essentialism, I tend to regress to the foundations of education. Traditionally, I like to make my lesson objective known to the students. By presenting this frame of reference to students, they can correlate the information with another subject that they might be learning in a different class, or assimilate the information to a previous lesson. As a result, my students are comfortable and able to express ideas freely. In keeping in the above proverb, my students are becoming involved and are able to take the information with them as they progress through their education.

With this idea in mind, my Progressive nature displays to students that are creative individuals and are able to interact with myself and other peers socially. As a teacher, I am able to accommodate different points of view and offer remediation plans for those students who might not progress at the same level. It is my philosophy to bridge this gap and help to instill confidence.

In terms of Behaviorism, this solely depends on my classroom management style. I expect my students to treat me with utmost respect, as will I with each of them.
I also wish to conduct my own professional behavior in a superior manor. I tend to rely on having positive relationships with my colleagues. Having an experienced teacher as a reliable friend is a wonderful way to share and correlate ideas and activities that will benefit student learning.

I truly believe that if my philosophy if education is implemented then I can expect wonderful things from my students. As stated before, my philosophy is an ongoing work in progress. I rely on my self assessments and student evaluations in order to determine the best methods for motivating all learners to excel.

References

DeCourcy Hinds, M. (2002). Teaching as a clinical profession: a new challenge for education. Carnegie Corporation of New York, Retrieved June 27, 2008, from http://www.carnegie.org/pdf/teachered.pdf

Kaplan University Graduate School of Education. (2003). Master of Arts in teaching and learning conceptual framework. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Kaplan University.

National Commission on Excellence in Education. (1983, April). A nation at risk. Retrieved June 12, 2008, from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/index.html