PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

1
Philosophy of Education

I believe the purpose of education is to prepare children for a successful future in society.
Joyce and Weil (2003) believes that education continuously builds ideas and emotions. They
also believe that schools are environments for students to explore the world and learn how to
navigate it productively (pg.5-6). We educate children to help them learn and develop skills that
will benefit them in higher education and for a lifetime. As children become adults, I hope they
become role models, have successful careers, and make significant contributions to society.
Children learn best when the environment is inviting and they are able to work in pairs or
small groups. Stripling (2009) believes that children learn best in a student-centered environment
(pg. 2). Chairs and tables should be set facing each other in groups of four, providing students
the opportunity to learn together. A corner of the classroom should provide students access to a
library that will expand their creativity and imagination. The walls should be well-organized and
decorated colorfully, displaying students classwork and project; the classroom should be a
comfortable learning environment that welcomes students, parents, and other faculty.
In order to ensure that all students are given equal access to learning, teachers must make
themselves available to all students. Every child will learn at different levels and speeds. It is the
teachers responsibility to differentiate learning and spend more time on areas that need extra
attention. Joyce and Weil (2003) suggests that teachers should differentiate students according
to levels of development and create a learning environment that is matched to the complexity
of the student" (pg. 134-135). Teachers can implement students to work in small groups, and
spend additional time with English learners and special needs students. Teachers can also
provide extra assistance after school. A first grade teacher I observed provided a group of
English learners after school reading practice sessions once every week. She used the Language

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Arts textbook and had each student read the same sentence twice, once to get to know the words,
second with fluency. During class, she also differentiated the class by chapter book readers and
non-chapter book readers. The non-chapter book readers spend more time with the teacher as she
instructed and practiced classwork at a slower pace.
I believe that each subject has an importance in student learning and development.
Although there is not enough time in a school day to cover all subject areas, the teacher should
implement most of them into the main curriculum. Stripling (2008) mentions that an inquiry
approach to learning is driven by questioning, thoughtful investigating, making sense of
information, and developing new understandings (pg. 1). Language arts emphasizes literature
and literacy, but also includes a portion of other subjects such as history or social sciences. A
poem can teach students to math skills like counting and music skills like rhyming and rhythm.
Alternatively, history, science, and math also pertain to literature and emphasizes reading
literacy. Visual and performing arts can be implemented into all subject areas. Students can
express their creativity by displaying a performance of a poem or other literary piece that they
have read and digested in class, sing a song that relates to the literature, or portray a painting of
the favorite part of the literature of study. Physical education and health relates to each other, and
can be taught integrated into performing arts, math, science, and literature. Joyce and Weil (2003)
believes that by formulating situations for questioning transforms curriculum content into
exploration opportunities (pg. 200-201). When I was in fifth grade, the fifth grade teachers
combined their classes to implement a week-long historical frontier experience. All fifth graders
wore attire of that era, carried books tied by a belt, and carried their lunches in paper sacks or
baskets. Girls were taught to make bonnets, and boys learned to make little toys. For physical

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

education, the class learned to square dance and play pioneer games. This opportunity provided
us an experience that we would remember for a lifetime.
Teachers are warm, respectful, motivating, skillful, encouraging, accessible, enthusiastic,
and caring people. They should have confidence, patience, and at times be open to silliness.
Teachers should be creative, organized, and always have ideas floating. Joyce and Weils (2003)
believes that the core of an effective teacher is to be confident that he or she can make a
difference in the learning community (pg. 10). Teachers have the power to inspire children for
education and sets high expectations for his or her students. Through professional development,
teachers will learn new teaching strategies to incorporate into lessons. Maintaining a
professionalism to students, other teachers, and parents is important. The children come to
school filled with words that exist in their memories of listening and speaking and experience the
transformation of the words and all they mean into reading and writing. The words will never be
the same again, for they take on a new dimension (Joyce and Weil, 2003).

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

4
References

Joyce, B., & Weil, M. (2003). Models of teaching: Fifth ed. New Delhi, India: Prentice Hall, Inc.
Stripling, B. (2009). Inquiry: Inquiring minds want to know. School Library Media Activities,
25(2), 1-2.
Wolf, P. (1998). How the brain learns: Revisiting effective teaching. Brain Facts: Language
Explosion, 56(3), 1-6.