Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Philosophy of Education
Angelica Rinebarger
Northern Arizona University
November 17th, 2014

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Philosophy of Education
Students dont care how much you know, until they know how much you care
(Hare, n.d., para. 5). A caring teacher leads to a caring classroom, which leads to
students who care; that is the foundation of my teaching philosophy. Schools should
strive to produce citizens that generate advancement in the community. The central
purpose of education is to develop passionate, analytical, and independent citizens who
help build a better community through their thirst for knowledge and creativity. Teachers
help instill these purposes in their students through positive educational experiences and
literacy-rich, consistently managed classrooms. My purpose as a future educator is to
motivate my students to become life-long learners through leading by example, building
trust, and forming positive relationships with each of my students. As Leo Buscaglia
once said, Change is the end result of all true learning (A quote by, n.d., para. 1).
Schools should seek to develop life-long learners who initiate positive change.
In 1993, Nelson Mandela concluded, Education is the most powerful weapon
which you can use to change the world (Resources for, n.d., para. 3). Schools are the
foundation for initiating positive change in the world. Teachers should strive to develop
students who want to create change, no matter how insignificant the change may seem.
Although schools want teachers to train their students to do things such as memorize
multiplication tables, education is the onset for creating change. Tozer and Senese
(2013) state,
Between education and training there exists a vast distinction. Education is an
intellectual and spiritual process. It has to do with opening the windows of the
human mind and the human soul. It involves the effort to understand, to

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comprehend, to be sensitive to ideas, aspirations, and interests to which the

individual might otherwise be indifferent. Not so with training. Training
connotes improved ability to do something, without deepened understanding,
widened sympathy, or heightened aspirations Training is means; education
is end. (p. 8)
Schools should seek to develop people who understand the importance of education to
the extent that they embrace life-long learning long after their diploma is received.
Developing these attributes to improve the community is the central purpose of
education.
If we spark a students passion, we unleash a powerful force upon the world
(Tim Fargo as cited in goodreads.com, n.d., para. 28). Passionate people lead passionate
lives. One goal of education should be to develop passionate citizens. Developing
passionate citizens is vital to community improvement because passionate people initiate
creativity and positive change. Teachers help students become passionate people by
helping them find where their passions lie. If a student is passionate about music,
teachers could offer projects that have the option of writing lyrics or composing a song.
Passion also leads to analytical thinking. Analytical thinking is a necessary characteristic
for all citizens to have because it causes them to think critically about controversial topics
and to analyze all sides of an issue. Teachers help students develop analytical thinking
by providing assignments with questions that encourage opinionated and/or thoughtprovoking answers, or texts that offer a variety of views on debatable subjects.
Analytical thinking also reinforces independence because students are able to form their
own beliefs about issues and topics as well as learn to ask important questions to further

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develop those beliefs. The central purpose of education is to develop students who are
analytical, passionate, and independent in order to help build a better community and
future. To initiate this development, teachers must provide literacy-rich classrooms.
Literacy is the building block for education. When children are fluent in all
aspects of literacy, they are more likely to do well in the classroom and throughout life.
In a literate environment, the library is the center of the classroom. Books that reflect the
diverse, multicultural nature of our society help children learn about themselves and
others and cause them to think analytically about social issues. When students read about
cultures other than their own, they learn to appreciate and value others differences both
inside and outside of the classroom. Students also benefit socially from quality literature.
Reading provides opportunities for students to discuss their emotions and opinions, and
students feel respected when their classmates listen to their thoughts. Furthermore,
classroom libraries should incorporate a range of books that encompass students
interests. Students are more likely to read for pleasure when their interest in reading is
fostered regularly with texts that pique their curiosity and value their experiences
(Catapano, Fleming, & Elias, 2009, p. 69). Reading for pleasure promotes life-long
learning because the more a person reads, the more knowledge they attain. When
students choose their own books to read, they are learning to be independent and to make
their own decisions. These decisions are directly related to how well the classroom is
managed.
Classroom management goes far beyond having a plan. Although having a plan
does help, consistency is key. No two students are the same, but all students understand
consistency. Smith (2004) articulates,

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Being consistent doesnt mean being a robot or a machine. It arises out of our
caring for our students, and caring for their learning. As we combine an open
resilient quality with a commitment to teach students content, behavior, and
procedures, we naturally become more consistent, without losing our humanity or
spontaneity. (p. 112)
When teachers are consistent, students respond. An effectively managed classroom
promotes a positive educational experience. If a student continues to show poor
behavior, the teacher needs to address the behavior individually while also
communicating the students importance in the classroom. Smith (2004) expresses,
Students dont act out because they are bad people. They are simply looking for
ways to establish and maintain a sense of self while navigating through the
sometimes extreme experiences they have. When a student acts out, it is often a
call for help. By addressing these calls directly and honing in on solutions, we
provide students with a chance to make real and lasting changes. (p. 202)
Students crave structure and will appreciate it when its present. Students will understand
their teacher only wants to better their learning experience, which will encourage them to
have an optimistic attitude towards learning. When students are optimistic about
learning, they are acknowledging learning as a life-long process that doesnt stop when
the school day ends. Life-long learners are advocates for positive change through their
analytical, independent, and passionate attitudes. I will help to develop these attitudes in
my students through my values as an educator.
[Kids] dont remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you
are (Henson, 2005, p. 54). Being a respectable role model for all of my students is very

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important to me. I will lead by example because I believe students need a teacher they
can look up to. Students also need a teacher they can trust. Learning is a very fragile
concept to some students and building trust with those students is crucial. Trust, in my
educational definition, is trusting one another (students and teacher) to provide their best
effort in all areas of learning in order for one another to achieve. This trust informs
change in students learning by motivating them to succeed. Additionally, students need
to know their teacher cares about them individually. Rimm-Kaufman (n.d.) explains,
Improving students relationships with teachers has important, positive, and longlasting implications for students academic and social development. Students
who have close, positive, and supportive relationships with their teachers will
attain higher levels of achievement than those students with more conflictual
relationships. If a student feels a personal connection to a teacher, experiences
frequent communication with a teacher, and receives more guidance and praise
than criticism from the teacher, then the student is likely to become more trustful
of that teacher, show more engagement in the academic content presented, display
better classroom behavior, and achieve at higher levels academically. Positive
teacher-student relationships draw students into the process of learning and
promote their desire to learn. (para. 1)
I believe building positive relationships with students is the most important factor in
their learning experience. Forming a positive relationship with every student takes time
but is worth the effort. I will form positive relationships with my students by getting to
know them on a personal level, spending one-on-one time with them, and keeping up
with their lives through continuous journal entries and responses. Establishing a positive

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relationship with their teacher forms change in students lives because a student is more
likely to succeed when they know their success is recognized by someone that cares for
them and communicates their importance in the classroom. When students feel their
presence in the classroom is valued and their teacher cares about them, they are more
likely to care about their education and to put in the effort to succeed in their endeavors,
which will motivate them to become life-long learners that generate positive change
throughout their lives.
I am not a teacher, but an awakener (Robert Frost as cited in goodreads.com,
n.d., para. 19). I want to communicate how much I care about my students education in
order to awaken my students to care about their education as well. Schools should strive
to develop citizens who initiate positive change through passion, analytical thinking, and
independence; attributes grown from the central purpose of education. Through literacyrich, consistently managed classrooms, teachers help instill these qualities in students.
My values as a future educator are to be an exceptional role model, form trust, and
establish positive relationships with each of my students in order to build a generation of
life-long learners who create change, because as Dr. Seuss wrote, Unless someone like
you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. Its not (Seuss, 1971, p. 51).

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8
References

Catapano, S, Fleming, J., & Elias, M. (2009). Building an effective classroom library.
Journal of Language and Literacy Education [Online], 5(1), 59-73.
Hare, J. (n.d.). Powerful Quotes for Teachers. Retrieved from
http://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/8742-powerful-quotes-for-teachersprinter-friendly-version
Henson, J. (2005). It's not easy being green: And other things to consider. NY:
Hyperion.
A quote by Leo Buscaglia. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/43628-change-is-the-end-result-of-all-truelearning
Resources for speakers, global issues, africa, ageing, agriculture, aids, atomic energy,
children, climate change, culture, decolonization, demining, development,
disabilities, disarmament, environment, food, governance, humanitarian, refugees,
women. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/efa/quotes.shtml
Rimm-Kaufman, S. (n.d.). Improving students relationships with teachers to provide
essential supports for learning. Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/education/k12/relationships.aspx
Robert Frost Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7715.Robert_Frost
Seuss, D. (1971). The Lorax. NY: Random House.

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Smith, R. (2004). Conscious classroom management: Unlocking the secrets of great
teaching. San Rafael, CA: Conscious Teaching Publications.
Tim Fargo Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7246141.Tim_Fargo
Tozer, S., & Senese, G. (2013). School and society: Historical and contemporary
perspectives (7th ed.). NY: McGraw-Hill.