Philosophy of Education

Purpose of Education
I believe that every child has the right to learn by either in the classroom or
outside experience. Wilson and Peterson both say, teachers become responsible for
diagnosing students interpretations and helping them alter, edit, and enrich them (pp.3).
We should practice this idea by teaching students with the skills we acquired through our
educational experience. For example, low income-inner city students are robbed of their
knowledge that other children of higher income families because they have the advantage
in which the parents can afford better learning opportunities. I think that what we teach
can either make or brake childrens lives by the experiences teachers give in the
classrooms. I want my students to learn skills that will enrich their learning environment.
I remember when I took art history and the professor was talking about famous artists and
famous artworks; I felt embarrassed because I did not recognize or understood what he
was talking about. I had this bad experience because I come from a low income- inner
city school system, therefore I want to teach my students skills that they will encounter
when they pursue higher education.
Learning Environment
I believe that a learning environment should promote active participants, a safe
classroom, and enthusiastic attitudes. Wilson and Peterson said, that learning is a
process of active construction; that learning is a social phenomenon as well as an
individual experience; and that learner differences are resources, not obstacles (p. 1). I
think that this idea of learning process is true because teachers have to be able to know
everything that goes on in the classroom by having all the students participate and present
their opinions as a democracy. I think that it is the responsibility of the teacher for the

Philosophy of Education

students to be safe inside or outside of the classroom because the child has to feel
comfortable with them and they have to be able to trust the adult who is with them for
most of the day. I strongly believe that the teacher has to be enthusiastic to teach because
the energy that is projected can give interest to the child. I think that children learn best in
an environment where they form a community of their own, so they have to learn from
each other's differences.
Commitment to Social Justice
I think that when talking about issues of diversity and equality it can be
controversial. By saying this, I mean we are all different and as a future teacher I will
encounter different kinds of students with different backgrounds. I have to be careful not
to offend my students. Jeanne Oakes and Martin Lipton talk about teaching
multiculturalism and they explain that for a teacher of this century multiculturalism is not
to be taught as a lesson. Oakes and Lipton says that multiculturalism is simply a fact- a
condition of culture. As a teacher one must learn to adapt and help students adapt to the
cultural diversity within the classroom. Becoming teacher will makes me responsible to
learn about different cultures, to be respectful and treat all of my students equal. I have to
be aware of social differences and give my classroom the opportunity to access this
awareness, so my students can be aware of any difference within the classroom.
Curriculum
I believe that I have to teach content at the student's pace because at the end they are
the ones who need to know what to do. I believe that I have to be organized with a set
lesson plan and rear my students to be at grade level as my long-term goal. All of the
content should be interactive so they can find it interesting. Like Wilson and Peterson

Philosophy of Education

said every teacher needs a repertoire of instructional strategies that range from methods
of direct instruction to cooperative and small group work to one-on-one work(pp.13). I
think that this idea falls along with the Common Core Standards which has to be stressed
during the school day because students learn better from their peers than seeing the
teacher model all day. For example, when a teacher models what the student is supposed
to do and then assigns group activity the student is learning through repetition. Therefore
when the student goes home they have already gained the knowledge to do their
homework on their own. As a teacher one has to remember that direct instruction is
important to do first because they learn the skill from the teacher. I think that early in the
morning students should start the day with English and math because those are subjects
that they need to put the most energy. When they come from recess they should do
something fun like arts or health because they have so much energy to move around
which would be followed by history or science. Finally that would leave physical
education for the end of the day because this will drain their energy and they will be too
tired to do anything for the remainder of the day .
Teacher
I have observed many teachers and I have come to a conclusion that they all share
the passion in help their students succeed. I think an effective teacher should be
responsible, caring and resourceful. Darling-Hammond says that teachers must be able
to function as members of a community of practitioners who share knowledge and
commitments, who work together to create coherent curriculum and systems that support
students, and collaborate in ways that advance their combined understanding and skills
(p. 13). I believe that committed teachers working together is important because amongst

Philosophy of Education

themselves the teacher learns from each others experience and knowledge. I also think
teachers should continue to acquire knowledge even after a Bachelors and credentials.
Teachers should achieve a Masters degrees or even other types of certifications because
education change all the time and teachers should be able to know different ways to
teach.

References
Hammond, L. (2005). Preparing teachers for a Changing World: What Teachers Should
Learn and Be Able To Do (pp. 1-39). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Oakes, J., & Lipton, M. (2003). Teaching to Change the World (2nd ed.). Boston:
McGraw-Hill.

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Wilson, S., & Peterson, P. (2006). Theories of Learning and Teaching What Do They
Mean for Educators? (pp.1-23). Washington, DC: National Education Association.