My Philosophy of Education

For my Inroduction to Education course at the University of Akron, I was asked to write a teaching philosophy. I have chosen to share it with you all and it is far more objective than my About Me page. Because my paper was intended for other educators to read along side my resume, I assume those who have not taken an education class are unfamiliar with the different established philosophies of education and so I have provided a link that describes them in more detail and I suggest you read it before starting my paper. I hope you enjoy my formal Philosophy of Education!

Teaching Philosophies

Teaching philosophies are important for teachers to have and continually develop because it helps us convey who we are as teachers and how we approach the art of teaching. In developing a teaching philosophy, teachers must know how they will utilize professional teaching standards, change with the input of new ideas, interact and accommodate the growing number of diverse learners in our classroom, and decide what we think is the purpose of schooling in a democratic society. Before learning about the five prominent philosophies of education, I had no philosophy that I identified with, but after reviewing them I have discovered that I agree with many different aspects of the philosophies I learned about. I knew when I first started reading the description of Progressivism that it was the philosophy I most identified with because it uses a student centered approach with focuses on curriculum of interest, experiential learning, and opportunities for problem solving and student discovery.  Throughout my education, I have found that I learned the most, had the most fun, and was the most motivated in a progressive setting. I loved all the opportunities I was presented with and the responsibility of making decisions about my education.

I agree with all of the concepts presented in Existentialism, but I find myself still relating more with Progressivism because it appears to be more practical. Existentialism is not widely practiced, and only few elements are scarcely practiced. It also seems that Progressivism allows the teacher to take a more active approach with students, rather that place the sole responsibility of learning on the student.

Social Reconstructionism is very change seeking by pushing for social change as a main curriculum goal and driving students to feel responsible for humanity. I do agree that topics such as racial equality, women's rights, sexism, pollution, poverty, and homophobia, to name a few, are important and should not be considered null curriculum, but I don't like the forceful approach that Social Reconstructionism seems to take when it comes to teaching this information.

When it comes to Essentialism I only agree with a few of its ideologies. I agree that teachers should be an indispensable resource for their students as they learn and grow, and that proven methods of instruction and hard work should be a major focus. Where I disagree is that I believe student interests are very important, that rules should not be more important than the passion to learn, that there is more than one way to learn, and that standards and testing should not be as heavily emphasized as it is in Essentialism.

About the only thing I agree with related to Perennialism is that there should be core information that travels with a student through grade levels, but I don't think it needs to be based on the so called "classics." I feel that if we focus too much on the classics of the past we might pass by information that in the future will be looked back on as a classic. I strongly believe that student differences should be taken into account wherever possible, that elective courses are very important for development, and that there are newer proven methods of instruction that work as well as, if not better than, traditional methods.

All in all, I am content with the philosophy I have chosen to identify with and while I will continue to consider aspects of other philosophies, I feel that I have a great starting place from which to grow. Progressivism applies directly to the way I view myself and those around me, as curious individuals who are constantly growing and asking questions. Another group of ideas that will influence me in the classroom are the professional teaching standards and, as I continue to grow, I am sure I will become more comfortable exploring and incorporating professional teaching standards. 

Professional Standards

There are certain professional standards for teachers and they are how your growth will be evaluated.  These standards are: understand student learning and respect diversity; strong content knowledge; able to implement assessments and utilize the data collected effectively in the classroom; be able to plan and deliver successful instruction; create learning environments that facilitate higher levels of learning and achievement; initiate communication and collaboration; and assume responsibility for professional growth. Some of these standards seem somewhat intimidating, while others seem more attainable (State Board, 2007).

As a developing educator, these are the standards I will continue to try to achieve as I grow in knowledge and experience. Understanding student learning and respecting diversity seems a fairly easy task, but I realize there may be challenges in trying to understand student learning simply because of the great diversity of individual learners. I am also very intimidated by the need to have strong knowledge and understanding of the content area I will be teaching. I do however feel confident that I will be able to collect and utilize data about my students effectively in the classroom and give them immediate feedback. Planning and delivering successful instruction seems very daunting, but I feel with practice and repetition, the process will become a muscle memory and I will be able to explore different ways of creating lessons. I feel very excited to create a learning environment that promotes achievement, I can't wait to make a classroom that both my students and I are excited to go to each day. Initiating communication and collaboration seems like it could easily become overwhelming, but I feel that if I have a firm grasp on innovative technologies, communication and collaboration would be significantly more fluid. The last criteria, assuming responsibility for professional growth seems like it would be second nature to me because as an artist I have been practicing constructive growth my entire career.

These are my current opinions on the professional standards for teachers, but I'm sure my opinions will change as I learn and grow. I really believe that with experience comes wisdom, and the more you experience the better equipped you are to relate to the diversities of your students.

Diversities of Students

There are some diversities of students that I could relate to quite easily, however I know that there are things my students will experience that I will never be able to relate to. Some hardships that students may face that I would be able to relate to are those who struggle with learning disabilities, mental illnesses, stressful home lives that affects student academic performance, unreliable modes of transportation, and those students who have a parent working in the school system. Some issues students may deal with that I would not be able to relate to are those students who have to balance sports with school and maintain a certain grade, those students who have lost a parent or have parents who are separated, students who have abusive home environments, and those students who are at or below the poverty line and do not have easy access to innovative technology based learning tools.

In 2010, I was diagnosed with ADHD after a steady decline in my academic performance. I was placed on a 504 plan and registered with a learning disability because of how drastically my education was being affected. I struggled for quite a while as my doctor and I tried different medications, until my adverse reactions to the medications made it clear to my doctor that I was misdiagnosed and actually had bipolar disorder. The struggle to find a medication that worked continued for many years and caused a great stress in my home life. I was so grateful for my 504 plan and how accommodating my teachers were during this very difficult time of my life. Rarely did I ever wake up in time to catch the bus, so I would have to either see if my mom could take me, find a ride with a friend, or walk to school. I can also relate to students who have a parent in the school system because my dad was the Vice Principal of my high school. He checked in on me regularly during the day, but rarely could I ride to or from school with him because he left too early in the morning or stayed too late after school.

I was never a serious high school athlete, so I am ill equipped to relate to those students who have intense practice schedules and need to keep a certain GPA. I was a member of the theatre department, which had intense rehearsal schedules, but only for a few months until the show, and to participate there was no GPA requirement. I also cannot relate to students who have lost a parent or who have separated parents because I am fortunate enough that both of my parents are still alive and together. What I have learned from my friends who have lost a parent or who have separated parents is that there are very few people who can really understand and relate to the amount of pain they experience. During my friend's experience, the school had found out fairly soon after his mom had passed and all teachers were notified to be aware of the situation. He said teachers did the best they could, asking if he needed anything or if they could do anything for him, but talking about it hurt more than helped.  He had learned that his English teacher had lost her last parent around the same age, but even with so much in common "a child losing the only parent they ever knew is an indescribable pain that in their mind, no one could ever feel or imagine the same as they do"(A. Kingsley, personal communication, November 24, 2015). He had thought he could make it through school, but after being reminded throughout the day of his loss he decided it was better to take a break and grieve. While my home environment was stressful at times, it was never as stressful as losing a parent, or even living in an abusive home. I cannot relate to students who go home each night to a physically or emotionally abusive relative because I have never experienced an abusive relationship. I have also always been fortunate enough to have my needs provided for and to be presented with the opportunities to use current technology to enhance my learning experience. I have learned that it is important for public schools to have relatively current technology that they can provide for at least the students who are at or below the poverty line to use to help bridge the technological divide.

I could relate to my students in many ways such as coping with a learning disability and having a parent in the school system, but I feel the loss of a parent is a foreign concept and so far I have not been affected by the technological divide. The students we will have in our classroom will be very diverse and there will be no way to identify with each unique individual. Diversity in the classroom gives purpose to public schools in our democratic society.

Democratic Society

It is the job of public schools in the United States to educate the population so that we may compete in a global society and live the American Dream. As an educator, we help students reach a higher level of academic success to prepare them to be responsible citizens and create a learning environment where all students have the opportunity to achieve.

Through the democratic process we are able to provide our children with free education. Federal policy mandates that public schools comply with the U.S. Department of Education's guidelines to receive federal funding, and it is the state's board of education that determines whether or not they adopt these guidelines (Powell, 2015). It is the families that decide where they will live and where they will send their children to school, and so the success of a school is also largely dependent on the community around it. These families are all trying to live the American Dream and want the best for their children, want their children to be able to live their dreams, and public schools are one of the major contributors to their success.

As a teacher it is our responsibility to provide a learning environment where all students have the opportunity to achieve, and that especially means providing for students with unique learning needs. While community composition may be a contributing factor on what kinds of students you will have in your classroom, the diversity of the individual must never be forgotten. It is our job as educators to not give up on students. We must do our best to help prepare our students to be responsible and informed citizens, as well as teach them the knowledge and skills required for them to achieve their goals.

These are my opinions on the professional teaching standards, the major educational philosophies, how I will be able to relate to the diversities of my students, and what I think the purpose of public education is. The students deserve to have a teacher that can provide an example of the constant learning and growth they expect to see from their students. And so, teachers should strive to continue to learn and grow throughout their entire career.

References

Powell, S. (2015). In Your Introduction to Education: Explorations in Teaching (Edition 3. ed.). Pearson.

State Board of Education, & Ohio Department of Education. (2007, September 1). Standards for Ohio Educators. Retrieved November 22, 2015.