Philosophy of Education

I went to school a while ago and experienced a variety of essentialism

style of education. Since then I have a had 8 children and as I try to teach

them, it is reinforced how different they all are. Their learning styles are

diverse. I have also been a substitute in our local, small town school and

have had the opportunity to see how different teachers teach and set up

their classrooms. I have seen a variety of teaching styles.

Existentialism sounds amazing but it also brings many questions and

concerns to mind. I believe that at the beginning, when a child first enters

school, structure and consistency bring a sense of comfort to them. When

they are young and they must leave home, it is scary for some. During times

of trial the routine and basics are soothing. I saw this in a pre k classroom I

was subbing in. There was a 4-year-old girl that her Daddy was shot on a

Friday while her siblings and her were in school. It shocked our whole

community. While I was in her classroom the next week as an aide, we got a

phone call from the mother asking if she could come to school. I watched

that young girl play with her friends, sing her ABC’s, read books, smile and

laugh. She was comforted in the structure her wonderful teacher had

created.

A student needs structure as they learn how to learn. As they train in

reading and writing, how to manage time and other fundamentals of

education they will develop skills that will allow more flexibility in the future.
The basics of reading and math can be taught in so many ways. The more

that students can see math in a real-world environment, the more they

understand it. When reading books people can escape or even connect with

fictional characters. There is a link with children that love to read and their

ability to do well in school. Standardized tests can reveal disabilities or

challenges that need to be addressed.

Since school is supposed to prepare us for the real world, the real

world should be in school. There should be a blending so that when junior

high students are starting to think about what they want to be when they

grow up, it will be more than just an industry. My teenagers are struggling to

figure out what they want to be when they grow up. They want to set a goal

to work towards, but it is such a wide-open space that they are having

difficulty narrowing it down. It would be wonderful if there was a program

that could show the different industries, and even whittle it down to the

varieties in the industry and maybe even having internships where they can

try it out.

Every student should have opportunities to serve in their community.

It would make them a better person. As a teacher, I try to guide every

student to figure out how to be their best. Progression is an essential part of

life. There needs to be monitoring of progression. Some of that is with tests.

Another way might be to have a counselor or mentor evaluate what is

working and what isn’t. There needs to be a person to be accountable to. It

breaks my heart when I am in a high school classroom and the attitude is

“What is the bare minimum I have to do to pass”. Cheating is everywhere.

Students are bored, lost, overwhelmed, and are missing the point. The

evaluation could be an interview to label where their weaknesses and

strengths are.

I am a student and a teacher. Learning will not happen without a

student’s drive. I want to be a teacher that inspires students to never stop

learning about something, because education is amazing. I hope my passion

for instruction will be contagious and no matter what style is being used at

the time, it will be brilliant.