"Education has for its object the formation of character."

-Herbert Spencer

Philosophy of Education

A philosophy is something that reflects what a person or a group of people believe in. It is possible for me to have many different philosophies. I have a philosophy for friendships and a philosophy for the weather. As a future educator, I also have a philosophy for education. The moment I knew I wanted to become an educator I started formulating ideas in my mind of how I wanted to create a learning environment.  Whenever a teacher in high school did something I wasn’t fond of I would always say, “When I’m a teacher I will never make my students do that.”  I found it fun to imagine what my future classroom would look like and how it would run.  Now that I am actually studying to be what I’ve always wanted to be, it is interesting to recall what my philosophy of education is.

As an educator I am going to have more than one job. There will be many different roles that I will have to take on throughout my day. Some of these roles include teacher, confidant, disciplinarian, technician, student, role model, colleague, employee, motivator, and sometimes even a director or coach. All of these roles will involve me to use many different types of teaching methods. I believe it is important for an educator to have close relationships with their students. I know that some of my better days in high school were when a teacher went out of their way to see how I was doing. I also feel very strongly about pushing students. As an educator I never want to watch a student fail because they didn’t put their all of their efforts into something. I want to encourage those students that have so much potential and no one to help them find it. Those are the types of students that get lost in the crowd and never go on to do the great things they are capable of. 

Also as an educator I feel that it is important to offer a higher level of thinking. As I stated before, I think it is important to push students to do their best. Giving students ideas and having them come up with their own ideas allows them to use their minds on higher levels that will get them ready for anything in this world that they will come across.  My belief of higher level of thinking coincides with the educational theory of perennialism. Perennialism is based on the discipline of the mind.  It encourages a more intellectual level of learning and thinking. I want my classroom to operate on the same intellectual level.

Creating a classroom environment where every student feels comfortable is difficult and complex goal. It is one that may not be easily reached within the first year of teaching. There is always going to be that group of students that acts out in class and the group of kids who have trouble in class because of being bullied and criticized.  As a teacher it is going to be my responsibility to know what takes place inside of my classroom.  As a teacher, you learn to expect anything. A classroom with diversity may sometimes create challenges, however emphasizing and encouraging the uniqueness of the individuals in the classroom creates a welcoming and comfortable environment where every student has the ability to learn. I want to make sure that while in my classroom all students will feel like equals through learning. Someone’s background and culture can make them different, but it can also help to enrich the entire classroom if given the chance to share their own experiences. As a Social Studies educator using the students' diverse culture is a wonderful way to help students connect to what I am teaching. I am determined to have my classroom function in this open and respectful manner.

Another part of my philosophy understands how students learn. I know that all students learn and comprehend at different speeds and in different ways. In the subject that I will be teaching, Social Studies, I know that many students find it difficult to understand and connect with. This is why I want to bring out the exciting points of Social Studies through many different types of learning styles so that all students will have the chance to shine at something. Current events are key to connecting Social Studies with everyday happenings that could potentially affect the lives of my students.

Being an educator is an important life choice. The ability to change and mold the learning process of students is a precious gift. My students will leave my classroom with a higher level of thinking, new ideas that they created, and hopefully with a confidence in themselves and the knowledge they possess. Part of this idea is based around a term known as character education. Social Studies plays a huge part in character education. History, geography, economics, and government are components of the Social Studies, but students also need to learn how to work together in social ways. Demonstrating to students how to make good decisions that will determine their goals after they leave my classroom.  

My personal philosophy of education is solely based on the students and how to benefit them.  Schooling and learning is about the students and I feel that it is important to make sure that it stays that way. I want that to start in my classroom. Hopefully through teaching along with the idea of perennialism the environment I create will help the students to move out of school and into the world with their own ideas and dreams.