Philosophy of Education

Chloe’ Hindman

Paris Junior College

EDUC 1301.200

Dr. Marian Ellis, Instructor

February 23, 2019

 When I was in school, I was very active in sports and clubs such as volleyball,

cheerleading, Beta club, and The National FFA Organization. I was a student that always had

something going on, whether it was practice, fundraisers, or field trips. I never stopped moving

in my busy schedule and it was a lot, but there was one thing that got me through all of it. That

one thing was my English teacher. I have known her since I can remember and she has always

pushed me to to my very best and she is the reason I have chosen to become a teacher.

Learning is not always about the content, most of the time it is going to be about how

educators present the information. I have some students who pick up on new material almost

immediately and others I work with for hours on end and create new ways for them to

understand it. Every child learns in a different way whether it is the traditional method, like I

personally prefer, or whether it is making songs or patterns, or dances for them to absorb the

information.

For example, John Dewey stated that “book learning was no substitute for actually doing

things.” He was very right. If you expect children to learn a subject they can not just sit at a desk

and listen to a teacher lecture on and on about it. They need to stand up, and physically test

what you are trying to teach them. Listening on and on for eight hours a day will do them no

good if they do not get to test out the theories and methods being presented to them.

Personally as an educator I believe students need to learn more traditional information

first. Math,science,history, and most of all language. It amazes me how many student I am

faced with that are inadequately educated in reading and language. You have to start small

before you can move on to more advanced subjects. Students must start at a young age when it

comes to their education. My classroom will be different. I will encourage students to ask

questions, to challenge certain beliefs and assumptions. I want to teach my students that they

can change the world in their own way and make it a better place. That is how I intend to

change the world, is to give students a new perspective.

 Curriculum is not the problem when it comes to teaching, it’s HOW the curriculum is

presented to the students that is the problem. Imagine if you were currently a fourth grade

student preparing for the STARR test would you want to sit in an uncomfortable desk, with a

middle aged English teacher standing up in front of the class saying “ alright pull out your

textbooks read page 34 and do question 1-30 on a piece of notebook paper then write me a

poem that’s at least one page long.” Would you not rather have a teacher greet you and the

door every morning and say “ Hey guys we are going to read this play out loud and everybody is

going to have a part!”

Multicultural education. If students in America only ever learn about the American culture

they would be shellshocked when the got out into the real world and were faced with coworkers,

neighbors, and just people they could meet in everyday life that were from a different culture.

Opening up the education system to other cultures and teaching students about them will create

so much more understanding and acceptance to new experiences and people. If students are

kept in a tiny little bubble that restricts them from the real world it will hinder their education. This

is why second language classes and world history can be so beneficial to students.

Teaching is not about the money, getting kids to pass a test, or simply having a job. It’s

about creating a better world through educating young minds and doing everything possible to

help students be the best they can be. This is why I want to teach, I want to help create a better

generation that can help create a better world.