PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION NOW 1

My Philosophy of Education Now

Michael Robles

Graduate Studies, Vanguard University of Southern California

EDUG-524: Foundations in Teaching

Dr. Jeff Hittenberger

December 13, 2022

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Before I started my path to my teaching credential, my thoughts on education were

slightly skewed. I had always been in the seat of the student, but never the teacher. Therefore,

my dispositions on education ranged from appealing to my experiences as a student. Now that I

have grown as an educator and learned the various perspectives, expectations, and philosophies

that go into being an educator, my views on education have grown. Since then, I have learned

what education truly is and how my goals have adapted to my perception as an educator.

At first glance, the concept of education seems very straightforward. However, once you

start to go through the processes of becoming an educator, it is important to truly learn what

education consists of. To me, education is the empowerment of young minds to discover who

they are, and utilize the tools they need to become who they seek to be. Education is important

because not only does it teach the forthcoming generations how to be functioning members of

society, but it also allows them to discover their purpose in life and what career, subjects, and

concepts they are passionate about. The most important goals of education should be focused on

equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to discover who they are while

allowing them to find their place in the world. Education is the key to these goals because it is

the place in which students learn more about themselves in various subjects: science, math,

social sciences, humanities, and all the like. A proper education allows students to reflect on

what they learn and determine who they want to be and what they are passionate about.

The two philosophies of education that I align most with are Existentialism and Social

Reconstructionism. Not only do I believe that students should learn about the issues and

experiences that the world goes through and learn how to become better members of society, but

I strongly believe it is important to allow students to find themselves in the process. When I

completed the first philosophy inventory, the quote that stood out most to me was “Education is
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the kindling of the flame, not the filling of a vessel.” This quote is one I still live by in my path

as an educator because it emphasizes how important it is to allow students to discover who they

are in the process. I was blessed with an education that allowed me to shape my beliefs, stances,

and passions and learn how to utilize them in college and career pathways. I seek to do the same

for my students as well. One thinker that has had an influence on me this semester was Jean-

Jacque Rousseau. He believed strongly in the education of a freethinking child, and felt they

should be educated wherein they learn how to think and act for themselves. While I do believe in

this as well, I also believe that students should be socially aware of the issues, ideas, and

experiences that shape our society. They should learn about our country and world’s past and

learn to develop their own outlook on the issues and factors that shape society.

My foundation as an educator focuses on: the expression of creativity, the emphasis on

critical analysis, and the training of independent thought. Students should be able to express

themselves in their education and learn how to creatively do so. They should learn to analyze

work critically and determine the thoughts, views, and intentions of others. They should also

learn how to think for themselves and act independently when it comes to necessary skills and

analysis. I believe these are important for the younger generations to learn in order to develop

themselves and become socially aware.

Controversies in education have always been a factor in shaping the education field of the

United States. Social-Emotional Learning has been a key controversy in recent years, as raising

awareness for viewing students more as people rather than just students has begun to be more

utilized in education. I find this controversy important because of how much more progressive

education has become since its inception. Social-Emotional Learning has proven to be important

and useful in helping students and teachers be aware of students’ lives outside of school. Climate
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change has also been a very important controversy, as it is one of the first education-related

controversies wherein students take part in its development. This controversy has shown how

students can think and act for themselves, and fight for a cause that they are passionate about.

Their standing with teachers on why environmental issues should be addressed in school

curriculum has shown how much more the student is being emphasized more in the classroom

than just the teacher. COVID-19 controversies have had a large role in education as well, as

mask and vaccination policies strongly affected people’s choices in whether such responsibilities

should be up to a school board to decide. These three controversies have competed heavily with

the more traditional education philosophies such as Essentialism and Perennialism because now,

students have been given more choice and freedom of thought in the educational atmosphere.

Students’ voices are being heard, and they are speaking out more about what their education

should consist of, as well as their own rights. These controversies highlight how education has

moved more toward Progressivism and Social Reconstructionism by focusing more on student

perspective. This also has an effect on my vision for education as a career and field.

Education has experienced drastic changes since I have been in school. Students are

being heard more, and they are becoming much more independent. They are being seen as

developing minds more than just children who should learn math, science and humanities. My

vision for education consists of students being able to take part more in how they want to be

shaped as people, and learn about what they are passionate about. In recent years, it has been

determined that college students are going into completely different fields than what they

majored in or were interested in when they were in high school. This is because college is a

driving force in influencing what they want to be educated in. They have more autonomy in what

they want to learn in college than in primary school. However, I would like to see this autonomy
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begin in K-12 education, and have students discover who they want to become in order to take

the steps they want to take earlier on. College is not for everyone, but allowing students to learn

more about what they would like to learn will give them the skills and abilities necessary to

make that decision on their own than being told to go through one set path.

My philosophy of education focuses heavily on student independence, and awareness of

their actions towards others and themselves. This stems from my views as a Christian, as the

foundation of my faith is Jesus’s teachings that we should love all, especially those we do not

agree with. I strongly believe in the same, and strive to apply that to my life as an educator as

well. Even though I cannot express my faith in my career as an educator, I can still teach with

unconditional love for my students and show them how to do the same. As a student, I strove

more in discussion-based classes where we learned how to respect one another’s opinions and

values and how they are related to the subject. I was taught to respect and show love to my

fellow classmates. I desire to do the same in my classroom.