Running Head: PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Personal Philosophy of Education Brittany Dunatov Molloy College

MY PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION My Personal Philosophy of Education I discovered that I wanted to become a teacher when I was in high school after having first-hand-experience working in various day cares. I learned how much

being around students and found a passion in creating lesson plans to facilitate their learning. As I got experience working with the students, I realized what the true purpose of education was. Education is meant to help students learn about themselves through subjects such as English, math, science, history, and language arts. Education should open up their minds to new knowledge that may not have known before. Also, at the same time expanding their imaginations gaining necessary skills to become successful in their academics once outside the classroom setting. As teachers in the classroom, there are many different responsibilities to always remember. Teachers should always create a safe classroom environment to foster students learning. The students should be comfortable enough to ask questions to the teachers or even their peers without any judgements. It is up to the teachers to make carry out a respectful classroom attitude everyday. At the end of the day, they are the example students will to for guidance. Part of the safe classroom environment includes having good classroom management skills. The teachers must balance discipling their students correctly with allowing equally time for the them to explore and process interpreting information independently in their own unique way. Teachers responsibility extends even further to having a classroom that celebrates the diversity of all students. Attention should be paid to different cultures, ethnicity, practices, and holidays that happen around the world not just in our own backyards. Even bringing in two different traditional meals from two different countries as a lesson on cultural diversity can be powerful. Students can

3 learn that America is a melting pot encompassing many different kinds of people and being accepting of those differences is part of being human. Learning should never stop even after the teachers have their certification. There is always room for integrating new lesson plan concepts, teaching strategies, and technology. If those options are not enough the teachers can communicate with collaborating co-workers to research new ways to help students learn the curriculum best. Ultimately there has to be a partnership within the whole school having people work together not against one another for students to be successful academically and socially. Not all students in the classroom process information in the same way. Teachers should use differentiated instruction when planning lessons throughout the week. One way of accomplishing that goal is by appealing to the students learning style. For the students who learn best visually, the teachers can use charts or 3D models for them to grasp the specific area of curriculum being taught. On the other hand, for those students who lean best aurally the teachers can use tape recorders or even make up appropriate aged rap songs for them to grasp another specific area of curriculum being taught. The teachers are the ones in control having to know their students academic strengths and weaknesses in order to facilitate learning in the classroom. As the future of education changes so does the standards expected from both students and teachers. Teachers should be teaching the Common Core State Standards ,especially in elementary school with subjects in as math, science, history, and art. Those basic subjects are the foundation for learning. As students understand these content areas, they can move on and build on more complex concepts at higher grades. Matching technology with these content areas should be a part of every teachers classroom objective. For example, after students have read

4 the book Goldilocks and Other The Three Bears they can develop research questions about the storyline ,which answers can then be looked up using an Ipad. Teachers should not be afraid to incorporate technology in the classroom, but embrace it in the century where technology is constantly surrounded twenty-seven. Standardized tests should be equally balanced with exploration independent learning time. When teachers just spend all their time preparing students for tests, they are just memorizing answers not really processing the information. The excitement and joy of learning is being taken away for the students. Time could be spend on lessons that allow students to use their creativity and socialize with peers during an independent art project on the presidents in the United States is decreased. Standardized tests need to be given in order to measure students learning and teacher effectiveness, but not at the expense of other skills students need to acquire just as much. One philosopher that best connects with my own philosophy of education discussed throughout the paper is Maria Montessori. Students need time for exploration and independence in a controlled environment set up by the teacher in the classroom. Through that specific time students can learn how to socially develop learning how to interact with peers, and learn how to solve problems on their own with limitations set out by the teacher of course. As a future, I connect with Montessoris philosophy of freedom within the classroom and hope I can emphasis some of her key principles when I have my own classroom full of inspiring students.