Educational+Philosophy

Education is the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.

 Throughout the majority of my educational life I was only exposed to the behaviorist style of learning. I learned to adapt my learning to this format because I felt that this style of learning was not meant for all people especially someone like me who learns better through exploring and making mistakes rather than being told what to do and what the expected outcome should be.

 I believe that teachers should apply the three elements of a realistic educational philosophy which are transformative, authentic, and humanistic. I feel that most teaches that I have encountered in Public school and some in College are mostly there for a check and really have no true concern for the student's educational progress and growth. And a key element in a teachers approach to guiding students towards a successful track is their philosophy of education. I believe that my philosophy of education is a combination of essentialism, constructivism, and progressivism because my vision as a classroom educator is to educate, inspire, and motivate my students to become successful members of society. As a teacher I will ensure that my student's will receive positive real life experience and the support to development a positive self-esteem. I will encourage my students to search for meaning through observation and practice; my classroom will showcase an appreciation for diverse and multicultural education and concepts. I will show my students that I have a genuine interest in their learning and progression with their cognitive development.

 Progressivism is a student-centered philosophy that focuses on the students and provides the skills and knowledge that they will need to succeeded. Curriculum should focus on the level of each student so that they feel competent of the skills at hand. By supporting the individual development of each student the children are more likely to succeed within this approach learning is an active process. Children need a curriculum that provides a variety of open ended activities. Open ended activities allow the students to move from one activity to another based on their needs and interests. These activities are offered on a flexible schedule that gives the children time to apply the material that they have learned. In the progressive classroom and from the progressive teacher students can learn creativity, critical thinking, problem solving skills, and social skills. Students accomplish all of this through cooperative learning, experimentation, hands-on activities and guidance from a teacher who understands their individual needs, interests, and ability levels.

 Essentialism is the theory that states that children should learn the traditional basic subjects and that these should be learned thoroughly and rigorously. An essentialist program normally teaches children progressively, from less complex skills to more complex. An Essentialist will usually teach some set subjects similar to Reading, Writing, Literature, Foreign Languages, History, Mathematics, Science, Art, and Music. The teacher's role is to instill respect for authority, perseverance, duty, consideration, and practicality. Essentialism strives to teach students the accumulated knowledge of our civilization through core courses in the traditional academic disciplines. Essentialists aim to instill students with the "essentials" of academic knowledge, patriotism, and character development. This traditional approach is meant to train the mind, promote reasoning, and ensure a common culture.

 Constructivism is a psychological theory of knowledge were students construct knowledge and meaning from their experiences. By reflecting on our own experiences we can construct our own meaning and understanding of the world or the subject matter we are studying. In this approach learning must start with the issues that are around that students are actively trying to construct meaning from. The learning process must focuses on primary concepts and not singled-out facts. Constructivism calls for the elimination of a standardized curriculum. It promotes using a curriculum customized to the students’ prior knowledge. Also, it emphasizes hands-on problem solving. Under the theory of constructivism, educators focus on making connections between facts and fostering new understanding in students. Instructors modify their teaching strategies to student responses and encourage students to analyze, interpret, and predict information. Teachers also rely heavily on open-ended questions and promote extensive dialogue among students. Constructivism also calls for the elimination of grades and standardized testing. With this approach assessment becomes part of the learning process so that students play a larger role in judging their own progress.