Philosophy of Education

An individuals’ “ Philosophy of Education” is based on their personal

beliefs and thoughts, deriving from any research they have done.

The educational process is a preparation for life. Within each child lays

the passion, the desire and the thirst for knowledge. It is the job of an educator to

spark that thirst for knowledge and help children improve upon their skills and

reach their full potential. It should be a goal within society to enrich the lives of

children through learning and the educational process, so they can use what they’ve

learned and add their new inquisitiveness to improve their quality of life. Passing

down the knowledge, we as a society have gained, through educating our youth, it is

imperative to the overall success and well being of a community. To ensure

continuous economic, social, and political success of a country the answer lies

within our children and their ability to succeed based on the knowledge they’ve

acquired.

The true things that need to be learned in life cannot be learned from a

textbook. The teacher is the key to a child’s success. A teacher’s role is to instill

academic foundations upon a child and to help that child build upon those

foundations and develop both their academic and social skills. As an educator, one

should not stand by and force their students to learn on their own, neither should

they stand up infront of the classroom and lecture at their students for a full class

period or subject. Teaching is a give and take concept. The educator needs to learn

when each method of teaching is appropriate to be used. While teaching any lesson,

there comes a time when the educator needs to step back and give the students a
chance to think for themselves, in this way teacher’s at some point become a “Guide

on the Side.” However, a teacher can only become a “Guide on the Side,” once the

seed of knowledge has already been planted within their students. One cannot

expect students to excel in any subject area without activating their prior

knowledge. An educator’s role is to provide each student with that prior knowledge.

A teacher’s role in their students’ life can become more than teacher-

student. Sometimes the teacher will become a parent figure in the student’s life.

Children come from all different types of family background. For example some

children suffer from broken homes, single parent households, and a lack of parental

involvement. In some instances, a teacher’s presence is the most stable aspect of a

child’s life. A teacher taking on this role can mean the world to a child because of

that sense of stability they can create.

Although it is the job of an educator to encourage learning and growth,

active student participation is necessary for the child to succeed. There are many

expectations of students as well as teachers. Students are expected to be respectful

of their teacher, the learning environment, and one another. Without respect and a

comfortable learning environment achievement becomes less probable, and very

challenging. Students must pledge to be responsible for their learning. By actively

participating in classroom activities, doing their homework, and studying for tests

and quizzes students show their dedication to the learning process.

Walking into my classroom, the set-up will be one that welcomes a

collaborative learning environment. It will arranged in a way where it is easy for

students to interact with one another, and to interact with the classroom teacher.
 To encourage learning my room will be visually stimulating for the

students. I will cover the walls with colorful educational posters and inspirational

quotes about learning, I find it to be motivating to the students knowing their work

will be displayed, so I will be using the different bulletin boards around the room to

display their work.

On the first day of every school year it is important to create an

atmosphere within the classroom that all can feel comfortable with and one where

learning can take place. It is at this time that rules should be established.

Establishing rules with your students is important in order for them to be followed

by all. When students feel their input in the rule making process has been

considered they will be more likely to follow the classroom rules. Most students

respect this time of discipline. They need to know their boundaries and what

consequences they will face if they break any of the rules. Setting guidelines upfront

is important to run an efficient and effective classroom.

“A teacher is a decision maker in diverse context.” A teacher has a variety

of relationships to maintain within their school building in order to have their

students become successful. Teachers work closely with administration, other

faculty, social workers, and parents to ensure their students are able to reach their

full potential. A teacher acts as a mediator between students when conflicts arise in

and out of the classroom environment. A teacher needs to know how to handle

different situations that may occur throughout the school year between peers. To

keep one’s job a teacher must also answer to administration, and may need to

change their teaching methods according to new standards and expectations set by
the school district. When working in a school district a teacher needs to have a well

rounded personality to communicate with co-workers in order to create a positive

working environment. An open, communicative relationship between parents and

teachers is a very important aspect of the educational process as well. To help

children reach their full potential takes both the effort of the child’s teacher and

parent. Learning needs to be continuous. The learning process should not stop when

the student leaves the classroom therefore parents need to encourage their child at

home to continue studying and working toward achievement in academics in order

to be successful. It may take an extended effort on the teacher’s part to get parents

involved in their child’s education. Teachers may have to make frequent phone calls

to parents of students who are struggling, and intervene with parent-teacher

conferences. It’s important for a teacher to keep parents informed as to their child’s

strengths and weaknesses. With the children who are succeeding it is also important

to let their parents know so the child can continue to get praise for their hard work

both at school and at home.

Education is the building block to life. It is imperative for teacher’s to be

able to connect with their students and influence their students to become lifelong

learners.