Education Studies Assignment: Academic Essay Dr Pauline

Logue

Module: Education Studies

CA1 ASSIGNMENT: ACADEMIC ESSAY

An Exploration of My Personal Philosophy of Education and its Application to

the Technical Classroom

Nathan Maxwell –
G00391116

Lecturer: Dr Pauline Logue

Education Studies Assignment: Academic Essay Dr Pauline
Logue

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Programme: Education Studies
Assignment Title: Philosophy Statement Essay
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Date: …………27/11/2022…………………….
Education Studies Assignment: Academic Essay Dr Pauline
Logue

1. INTRODUCTION

Hello, my name is Nathan Maxwell, and I am a pre- service teacher. I am currently studying a

Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Education (Design Graphics and Communication. This

program enables me to tech technical graphics, and wood technology at junior cycle, design

and communication graphics, and construction studies at leaving cert. In this essay I will be

talking about my philosophy statement, this will include my values, beliefs and theories that

inform my practice. You might be wondering what a philosophy statement is? According to

Siegel a philosophy statement is the ‘Philosophy of education is the branch of applied or

practical philosophy concerned with the nature and aims of education and the philosophical

problems arising from educational theory and practice.’ (Siegal, 2008). The aim of this essay

is to explore an exploration of my personal philosophy of education and its application to the

technical classroom.

2. VALUES AND BELIEFS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

By exploring the college library and other academic sources, I have come to understand what

a philosophy statement is, it is a statement in which one uses to reflect one’s teaching

practice, both in the present and in the past, as well as to show how particular teaching

strategies are connected to the teacher's philosophical stance. My core values in the classroom

as a teacher in the T4 department are creativity, imagination, and most importantly respect.

According to the Teaching Council Code of Professional Conduct for Teacher they believe

that students learn best in a classroom which includes respect, care, integrity, and trust. I am

in full agreement with them on this, as students need to feel respected, cared for, and know

that they have the trust of the teacher so that they can thrive in the classroom. Every teacher

will have a different outlook onto how they teach and how they want their class to behave,
Education Studies Assignment: Academic Essay Dr Pauline
Logue

but most of the time they are influenced by either the Teaching Council or National

Professional Development Framework. The National Forum for the Enhancement of

Teaching and Learning in Higher Education believe in inclusivity, authenticity, scholarship,

learner- centredness, and collaboration, these beliefs are how I personally would like my

class to be perceived. I want my students to feel included, and that they can help and teach

each other with their work. Dewey falls into these beliefs by believing that school is a social

place where students grow to become themselves, ‘I believe that education which does not

occur through forms of life, forms that are worth living for their own sake’, (Dewey, 1897). I

believe for students to be themselves they must feel free and able to live within the school

environment to truly thrive.

3. EDUCATIONAL THEORY & APPLICATION

In the next part of my philosophy statement, I am going to reinforce my beliefs of freedom

and being yourself in the school environment. The two philosophers I have chosen to help

back up my beliefs are Aristotle and Rousseau. Aristotle was a firm believer in teaching his

students to have good morals, and to help guide them to where their unique skill set can

thrive, and Rousseau believed in freedom and that everyone was born good, ‘If I’m not better,

at least I’m different’, (Rousseau,1782).

3.1 ARISTOTLE’S THEORY AND ITS APPLICATION

Aristotle was educated in Plato’s Academy, known as the Lyceum. He was a firm believer

that each of his students had a unique skill set and that we should help guide them and nurture

their skills so that they can flourish. He believed that a key part of learning was having good

morals, so he sought out to find each individuals good virtues. He aimed to focus his lessons
Education Studies Assignment: Academic Essay Dr Pauline
Logue

on traits of character, this is like each teacher having their different value and beliefs. In the

classroom we all have our own beliefs and values, these are key to us as teachers as we all

want our students to thrive but also behave and be educated in a manner that we believe in.

We must show the students our values and show them that we also practice them, “Kids don’t

remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” - Henson, Jim (2005) -

It's Not Easy Being Green. Each value that we can influence in the classroom lays down the

groundwork for the next one to take place. If we set the rules at the rules in the class at the

start of the year then the students know where they stand; we can then set seating plans and

show the students how to enter and leave the classroom; once the ground rules have been

applied the students are now set and ready to learn, Aristotle calls this process the linear

hierarchy. Once we have the ground rules, we can help the students figure out who they are

and want to be, ‘Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.’(Aristotle), and this is

when true learning takes place.

S OURCE : INDIATIMES , Aristotle - Hierarchy To All Life In The Universe

Having examined Aristotle I now turn to Rousseau who I think has some theories that

compliment Aristotle’s.

3.2 ROUSSEAU’S THEORY AND ITS APPLICATION

Education Studies Assignment: Academic Essay Dr Pauline
Logue

Source: The Washington Post, Rambling like Rousseau in Switzerland

Much like Aristotle, Rousseau believed that people are good, it's just helping them realise it

that we can help them with. Rousseau was a philosopher of freedom, believing that allowing

students to be free and believe within themselves they can thrive, this is something that I have

spoken about earlier in my essay. Belief is key in the classroom, we as teachers must trust our

students that they can help teach themselves, this student-centred learning is where students

can find a lot out about themselves and where they do a lot of deeper learning. We must

allow students to make mistakes so they can learn from them, this is a good teaching strategy

in the woodwork room, as students can see first-hand where the mistake was made and how

they can fix it, Rousseau explains that a child gains the most effective knowledge through his

own efforts. By doing this, his physical strength also develops. In learning by doing, the child

not only gains physical strength but also feel good mentally. This instils self-confidence in

the child, also his successful and unsuccessful efforts inspire him to move forward in life ’

(The Fresh Answers, 2022). As I have mentioned in my essay one of the greatest

skills a student can have is a wild and vivid imagination, a student's potential is

unimaginable when they are allowed to dream anything is possible for them. Like

Rousseau we shouldn’t tell students of their limits but that their potential is boundless,

‘The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless’ (Rousseau). A big

belief of Rousseau’s was to have an active learning classroom, where students could learn
Education Studies Assignment: Academic Essay Dr Pauline
Logue

through sight, and research and only using words as a last resort. According to Allan Bloom

of the New York: Basic Books, (1979) Rousseau’s Confessions is “the description of the

education of a genius”, and this for me couldn’t be a better way to describe such a great

philosopher in education.

4. CONCLUSION

The aim of this essay was to explore an exploration of my personal philosophy of education

and its application to the technical classroom. From my research I believe I have achieved

what I aimed for, I have learned more following my in-depth research by looking through

multiple journals and websites. When stating my values and beliefs I got a true understanding

of myself, I dug deep within myself to think of how I want my classroom to be seen, I also

stumbled upon a quote from Socrates that will stick with me for a very long time ‘The Secret

of Change Is to Focus All of Your Energy, Not on Fighting the Old, But on Building the

New’- Millman, Dan(1980)-Way of a Peaceful Warrior. When researching Aristotle, it gave

me a good example of how to help students along the right path for them and to instil good

beliefs within my classroom so that we have good groundworks to build upon as a class, and

to help them become the best version of themselves. I chose to research Rousseau as his

teachings really supported what I believe in, letting the students be creative and imaginative.

He helped me realise that we can allow students to make mistakes as this is a great way for

them to learn, its natural. Overall, the philosophy statement was a great learning curve for

me, and it has made me uncover my values and beliefs as a teacher.

5. LIST OF REFERENCES

 Dewey, John (1897), My Pedagogic Creed

Education Studies Assignment: Academic Essay Dr Pauline
Logue

 GMIT LETTERFRACK- CODE OF PRACTICE FOR STUDENT TEACHING

(2022- 2023)

 Henson, Jim (2005) - It's Not Easy Being Green. New York, Publisher: Hyperion

 Logue, Dr. Pauline, Teaching & Learning e- Portfolio

 Millman, Dan (1980)-Way of a Peaceful Warrior. Boston, J. P. Tarcher Publisher

 National Forum (2016), National Professional Development Framework for all Staff

Who Teach in Higher Education

 Sheppard, Thomas, Weebly

 Trinity College (2021), Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement

 The Teaching Council (2016), Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers, Pg. 6

 The Fresh Answers (2022), Teaching Methods of Jean-Jacques Rousseau

 Williams, Samantha (2021), Everyday Power: 50 Jean-Jacques Rousseau Quotes on

Human Nature, Retrieved from: https://laptrinhx.com/50-jean-jacques-rousseau-

quotes-on-human-nature-4036124931/