Philosophy of Education

Michayla Hochstein
Philosophy of Education Statement

We often perceive that there is a limit to learning. We think that there is a point at which we
know enough and do not need to go any further. However, I do not believe that there is such thing as
knowing enough, and if there were, we do not have the time to learn it. The role of formal education is
to inspire children to reach for this unattainable “enough:” not to be discouraged that they will never
know it all, but to find joy in knowing that there is always something more. Our job as professionals is
to pursue life-long learning and to instill this goal in our students. 

The curriculum is often built with the “ideal citizen” in mind – what we teach is supposed to help
each student develop the capacity to be contributing members of society. However, this foundation
should not be lain in what they learn, but how they learn and how they feel about learning. As an
aspiring teacher, it will be my responsibility and privilege to meet students where they are academically,
socially, and emotionally and help them progress from there. Beyond teaching the curriculum, my job as
a teacher is to build relationships with my students. We teach students how to listen and take
information in but forget that most of our practice should be built around that same skill. I will listen to
what students are saying, both in their words and their actions. I will treat every student as an individual,
as much as is feasible, not a name or number on a page in need of evaluation. This will mean difficult,
sometimes emotional, work on my behalf. This will mean differentiation in instruction and assessment
to meet individual needs and will require paying attention to what is experienced, not only what is being
taught. I will need to reach into a students’ world – their troubles, their triumphs, their average days –
not force every one of them to fit into my world. 

Children are capable of much more than we often give credit. All they need is someone to
express interest in them and what they have to say. Everyone brings their own knowledge and
experience to the learning environment, and it is our challenge as teachers to establish where kids are at
and use it. With a bit of creative thinking, we can extend the tenets and objectives of curricula to every
area of interest and expertise. When the material students are learning is portrayed in a way that is
relevant and attractive, they are much more likely to build their understandings and incorporate it into
their schemas. The curricula we have to teach our students can seem obsolete, but it is our utmost goal
for students to truly learn. We want to teach children in a way that will encourage them to hold on to that
information and build upon it, knowing that education extends beyond our four walls. They will want to
know more because they understand that it matters. 

I do not believe that I am alone in educating students. Yes, I will have colleagues teaching other
subjects to these children, but educators do not stand alone at the front of the classroom. Resources
surround me. Parents/guardians have an insurmountable impact on the development of their children.
Consequently, it is necessary to bring parents into the classroom. This does not need to be physical
(although they may have a wealth of knowledge and could present fascinating information), but it does
need to be intentional. Parents should know what their children are learning, how they are learning it,
how they are responding to it, and why any of it matters. Also, standing alongside me in students’
education is the community as a whole. The classroom needs to be brought outside of the four walls and
into the world. This can mean field trips, but it can also mean learning about/getting involved with
initiatives in the community, learning the history of the town, experiencing the surrounding nature,
being in awe of the world. I may be an educator, but I am not alone in educating children.