RUNNING HEAD: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Philosophy of Education
Courtney Folsom
National University
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Every person who lives in the US is “required” to receive some sort of structured education

throughout their young lifetime. Children and adolescents who are in the midst their education are

undergoing their own personal journey. My personal educational journey was somewhat of a rollercoaster.

However, how I overcame my failure is what shaped my desire to become an educator and my beliefs

regarding the roles teachers and students play in the educational process. In this essay, I will recall my

own educational experiences, share about those who inspired me, discuss my “why” for teaching, as well

as the educational philosophy I most clearly resonate with.

In the early years of my education I was a very successful student. I scored in the highest

percentile in California in language arts and was reading at a 6th grade level as a 2nd grader. I was put

into the accelerated reading program and was recognized for my academic achievements. In middle

school, I found the same sort of success. Due to my previous successes, I was put into the high school

honors program. Little did I know the coursework for these classes would far exceed anything I had seen

in middle school. I was suddenly doing 5-6 hours of homework a night while also balancing my new sport

of waterpolo. My drive to succeed in school rapidly declined and I felt as though I was drowning in

school work. I developed pretty severe anxiety that was triggered by the pressure of submitting perfect

work. Even though my GPA was not that strong, my teachers pushed me to stay in the honors program. I

was slipping through the cracks and I felt as though I was just another number to add to the program’s

roster to bolster the school’s rating. The stress I felt was insurmountable. I flew under the radar as an

honors student with a 2.8 GPA, until my senior AP government teacher realized that something was

terribly wrong. Mrs. Cavalluzzi pulled me aside and asked me about my grades and why I wasn’t doing

well in school. When I described my feelings to her, she took the time to help me succeed in all of my

classes, not just hers. She taught me study habits, time management and organizational skills. She took

the time to get to know me and my goals to play collegiate water polo and used that to motivate me to

succeed. If it wasn’t for her going out of her way I may never have gotten through my senior year with

high enough grades to get in to Azusa Pacific. She truly had the greatest impact on me as a student. I
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sincerely believe I would not have two degrees and an almost teaching credential if it wasn’t for her.

My time at Azusa Pacific was an interesting portion of my journey. I changed majors 3 times and

struggled to find my “called” career path. However, I didn’t give up and was able to learn from my failure

in order to find my true passions. My physical education professors ignited a love for education in the

realm of health and fitness. I was so blessed to be surrounded by such knowledgeable and compassionate

people. Every class I took showed me a new piece of the passion for physical education and I was finally

engaged in my education again.

The effect that Mrs Cavalluzzi and my college professors had on me as a student showed me what

it truly means to be an educator and are the reason behind the “why” I want to teach. Mrs. Cavalluzzi

could have easily given up on me because frankly, I wasn’t putting the necessary work in. She did not

take offense to my lack of participation or count me out. Instead she pushed through the walls I had put

up between myself and all of my teachers and brought out the student in me that had always been there. I

will never know what each student is going through in their lives, which is why I vow to give every

student a chance. To always ask how their day is going, to be present, relatable, and encouraging. As said

in the teacher code of conduct, “the professional educator strives to create a learning environment that

nurtures to fulfillment the potential of all students” (Association of American Educators 2018) I think

teachers so often want to blame the resistance of students on the student themselves, however the

educator often fails to look at his or herself. As stated in the study, “Motivating Student Through Power

and Choice”, “Students aren’t resisting learning; they are resisting the whole context in which they are

taught”(Simmons and Page 2010). This statement encourages teachers to evaluate the power structure in

their classroom and to encourage their students to be creative and take control over their own learning.

(Simmons and Page 2010)

After taking the philosophy of education survey, I was not surprised to find that my highest

scoring category was progressivism. Educators who fall into this category require active participation,

questioning and experimentation by the students. Other characteristics of this teaching style are the
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inclusion of students in the decision making process, a democratic classroom process, and academic

freedom in learning. (Black 2000) Those who practice the philosophy of progressivism “believe that

education should be child-centered, that strategies to enhance learning should be developed, implemented,

and evaluated for each child in a class, as opposed to the entire class overall”(Black 2000). I believe that

it is the job of the teacher to give students an environment in which they are able to formulate their own

beliefs and opinions and find their own passions for learning. Part of the reason I feel as though I

struggled in high school was because I wasn’t pushed to be creative or passionate. I was being trained to

regurgitate specific information in a very specific way to fit a specific mold. It wasn’t until someone took

interest in me and taught me to learn in my own individual way that my educational experience turned

around. I believe that I experienced first hand that the progressive approach to education works best.
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Resources

1. Progressive Education Means Business

Black, D. (2000). Progressive Education Means Business - Education Week. Retrieved from
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2000/11/29/13black.h20.html

2. Code of Ethics

Association of American Educators. (2018). Code of Ethics for Educators. Retrieved from
https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us/aae-code-of-ethics.

3. Motivating Students through Power and Choice

Simmons, Amber M., and Melissa Page. “Motivating Students through Power and Choice.” The
English Journal, vol. 100, no. 1, 2010, pp. 65–69. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/
20787693.