Ivy Chen

Ms. Grant

EDU 202-2001

12 April 2021

My Personal Philosophy Of Education

Education is the process of educating or providing knowledge, and it has always been a

top priority. Teaching is a vital profession that should not be taken lightly, it comes with a lot of

duties, and with great power comes great responsibility. Teachers are responsible for preparing

children for the real world, and with this education, they may be able to positively contribute to

society. A teacher’s role has a huge impact on a child’s life because children spend almost their

entire day in front of their teachers and parents. Many people wouldn’t consider becoming

teachers because of the amount of stress that they face simultaneously; however, this is the path

that I want to take. I want to be a math teacher because math was always an easy subject for me

as a kid, and I want to help students change their minds about math, maybe even get them to like

it instead of hating it.

My career goal is to become a secondary education teacher, specializing in teaching

mathematics to elementary or middle school students. As a child, my days were spent either at

school or at my grandparents’ house. Everyday after school, my grandfather would give me new

math problems that I had yet to learn in school. He was always making difficult problems for me

to solve, and I would struggle with them sometimes. I would solve the problems using the

strategies taught to me by my math teacher, but my grandpa would use a different strategy. He

taught me shortcuts for solving each problem while still getting the same answer, and he also

explained the philosophy behind how these formulas were developed. Seeing my grandfather’s
passion for teaching inspired me to want to be able to help others learn, especially in a subject

that almost everyone struggles with.

The field observation assisted me in becoming acquainted with the specific knowledge

that every teacher should be familiar with, which was information about how the school

administration worked and how to work with students with disabilities. This observation

demonstrated to me that there are many factors that a teacher has to consider when teaching. For

example, due to the pandemic, teachers are required to teach online, which changes the entire

setup. Since school was closed for months, teachers had to change their lesson plans and try to fit

in as much information as possible given the amount of time left in the school year. I was also

able to see how a teacher functions while teaching virtually and how they were able to get

students to attend classes, but the most difficult part was seeing if students were paying attention

when their cameras were turned off. This was an informative experience that taught me how

teachers face a variety of challenges, including unexpected ones and this is something that I’m

interested in.

There are five types of educational philosophies which consist of Essentialism,

Progressivism, Perennialism, Existentialism, and Social Reconstructionism. The two

philosophies that stood out to me and dictate my current beliefs in education are Progressivism

and Social Reconstructionism. Progressivism is the philosophy that organizes education around

the concerns, curiosity, and real-world experiences of students, focusing on helping them create

meaningful questions and solutions by working together. I believe that education should be

focused on real-world issues and experiences that students can understand and prepare for. With

teamwork, I know that anything is possible, and that no one is truly alone; there will always be

someone there to count on and rely on along the way. Social Reconstructionism is a philosophy
that focuses on the studies and learning on fighting social injustice, reconstructing society in a

more justly social order. In addition, I want education to be taught in an equitable manner, with

opportunities and a safe environment for all. It is critical in a learning environment that every

child has an equal opportunity for an education and feels at ease learning in a setting that feels

like home.

My knowledge of historical events makes me appreciate the sacrifices that people made

in order to ensure that everyone, regardless of their race, class, disabilities, or gender, could

receive a proper education. For instance, in 1954, the case of Brown v. Board of Education of

Topeka ruled that racial segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment in the

Constitution, and thus separate but equal educational facilities were declared inherently unequal.

This well-known case effectively ended the practice of separating children in public schools and

now allows all children regardless of race, to attend any public schools. I learned about the

evolution of education throughout history, and it made me realize how grateful I am to have had

the opportunity to receive an education. I now see children and schools as a gift that shouldn’t be

taken for granted, but rather as something to be treasured.

Visual learning, cooperative learning, and hands-on learning are the strategies I will

implement. Instead of just verbal instructions, I would present videos or demonstrations when

assigning an assignment to make it more understandable. Also, I would assign group activities so

that students could get to know each other better and help each other learn. Next, I would assign

hands-on activities because they allow students to learn from real experiences and are a fun and

engaging way for students to learn. My approaches to learning, student diversity, student

variability, and assessment are with mentors, communication skills, and respect. Mentors serve

as role models and someone with teaching experience that can help direct new teachers in the
right direction. This would assist new teachers in avoiding the same mistakes and learning how

to handle different types of students and situations that may arise in the classroom at any time.

Communication is a very important skill to have because communication is key. With this skill, it

would make interacting with students and other teachers easier. Students would feel comfortable

having a teacher that is able to understand them and basically be able to talk to them as a friend.

Teachers would be able to feel free to ask for help or advice from other teachers which would be

extremely useful when you’re new to the school and rules that are expected. Respect is a way of

treating someone the way you would like to be treated and when a teacher shows respect to

students, the students will reciprocate. These are the strategies and methods that would guide me

as a new teacher and assist me in teaching students.

To move forward in this career, the qualities I would need are patience, listening skills,

good communication skills, cooperation, empathy, and adaptability. A teacher should be patient

with students and parents, answering the same questions repeatedly and never giving up on

struggling students. A good listener demonstrates to students that their teachers care and are

willing to listen. In order to improve, good communication skills are essential for identifying and

resolving problems with students or other teachers. Cooperation is the ability to work together

with students and other staff members to show that no one is alone. Empathy is a valuable trait

because it allows teachers to better understand students in the classroom or in personal situations.

Adaptability is another quality that would help teachers function in the given environment and

resources, it would strengthen their work ethic to be able to work with any standards. In order to

achieve my goals, I would try to earn a bachelor's degree as well as a master’s degree, as this

would allow me to teach in other states. Along the way, I would volunteer to be a teacher’s aide

or school tutor in order to gain experience. I would be able to see what a teacher’s daily life at
school is like. A school tutor would give me the opportunity to interact with students and learn

how to help other students. There will be a lot to handle behind the scenes in order for me to

achieve my goal of becoming a teacher.

Overall, being a teacher appears to be a simple job, but it takes a lot of hard work to get

there. I want to be a math teacher because I want to be able to help students enjoy math rather

than despise it. There will be many challenges that a teacher will face on a daily, but I’m not

afraid to take on this task because teaching is my passion, and if I’m successful, I will be able to

help many students. I hope that I can make a contribution to the education system or at least

improve one student’s school experience.