Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION 1

My Philosophy of Education
As society continues to change and develop the education system needs to change along
with it. The change that occurs within schools is largely within the scope of those who work
within it. As teachers we must be active agents of positive change and our philosophy of
education can help direct this change. As I reflect on my past philosophy of education I believe it
has shifted and adapted throughout my time in professional year.
The purpose of education should revolve around two points. First, education should
provide students with the skills they need to become lifelong learners and be successful in any
path they follow. Students need to be provided with the skills that will allow them to learn and
progress more efficiently, opposed to giving them streamed information around a specific
subject. Students need to develop skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, flexibility in
the way they think, opinion development and metacognition. These skills will allow students to
continue to learn once they have proceeded from the education system and be a successful
member of society and not just a system generated employee. In providing students with these
skills we will also see an increase in student motivation and investment in learning.
Second, education should provide equal opportunities for all students to learn and
develop. All students come from different backgrounds that we do not know much about,
however in the classroom all students should be viewed as equals and be given the supports and
opportunities needed for success. Teachers need to implement differentiated methods of
instruction to allow all students to develop deeper understandings of the material. Through the
education system we constantly hear about the students that are marginalized or lost within the
system and it is my belief that by providing these equal opportunities we will reduce the
occurrence of this issue.
I believe the curriculum needs to be adapted in a number of ways to ensure it is beneficial
for all students. First, the curriculum needs to be representative of all students. As the student
population becomes more diverse our curriculum needs to be relatable to these students lives.
When students see themselves in the material they are learning they will become more
enthusiastic about learning and be able to develop deeper connections. Second, the curriculum
must also recognize that not all students will follow the same path with a number of students
proceeding to university or college and many others entering the workforce directly. The
curriculum needs to account for all of these students and provide them with the best opportunity
to be successful in their future endeavors. Third, the curriculum needs to be adapted so the focus
is for students to gain essential skills as they relate to specific subjects opposed to collection and
memorization of material. This will allow students to use and build on these skills throughout
education and into their future learning. Finally, I believe the curriculum should be interweaving
in order for students to develop interest in all learning and not just certain subjects and should
provide students with a wide variety of opportunities. By providing students with opportunities
they will be able to find things that interest them and they can develop a passion for, allowing
them to take charge of their own learning.
I wish to incorporate more of a non-authoritarian approach to teaching where I can be a
facilitator of student learning and a resource for all students. However, I recognize there will be
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instances where an authoritarian approach will be necessary to ensure student safety. I believe by
developing a safe environment where all students feel comfortable I will be able to reduce the
amount of problems that may arise and in turn be able to focus on the students learning. Teaching
should be student-centered, after all it is all about providing the students with the best
opportunity to succeed. Students should have say not only in what they learn but how they learn.
Therefore, the teacher needs to implement a wide variety of teaching and learning styles to allow
all students equal opportunity to learn as well as incorporating student voice in deciding what it
is learned.
I aim to implement a style that focuses on both the entire group as well as the individual
within the group. I hope to develop a classroom environment that is safe for all students and
develop a community within my classroom that enables all students to participate comfortably.
This will be important as there is a lot that students can learn from each other as they offer
different perspectives and ideas that I may not think of. I wish to develop relationships with each
individual student and gain an understanding of who they are, their learning style, and their
strengths and weaknesses. This will be important because, as Rousseau points out, students are
not all peas in a pod and therefore, require different supports and opportunities. I believe student
learning should be experiential. Therefore, I will develop opportunities for students to experience
learning through field trips and classroom activities. Students should also learn through hands-on
experimentation and inquiry. Through this type of learning students will be able to explore and
develop their own theories and opinions about material in turn developing a deeper
understanding. These styles of learning will be reinforced through class discussion and reflection
to support student learning. Finally, I will ensure activities applicable to the students lives further
increasing the students motivation to learn.
I believe in order to implement this philosophy of education majority of the
responsibility falls on me as the teacher, but also the parents and members of the community
associated with the school and the students. As all of these individuals have an impact on the
students progression we need to provide them with the support and opportunities that will allow
them to be successful. I feel the entire school will need to work collaboratively to create and
inforce the philosophy of education. The administration will need to be supportive of teachers
efforts and all teachers and staff will need to buy in to create an environment that focuses on
student growth. As the teacher I will need to be patient as a develop my classroom environment
and focus on developing relationships and deep connections with my students in order to reflect
their lives into the environment and activities. I will need to create a safe and welcoming
environment where students feel comfortable sharing and I am able develop connections with
parents allowing them to contribute and provide feedback as they are ultimately the students
primary resource.
I believe if this philosophy is implemented we will see students that become more
invested in their learning and develop the skills necessary to become lifelong learners. As
students are given more choice in what they learn and how they learn they will become more
motivated and learn to enjoy learning. I believe we will see students who are prepared for all the
different pathways they may follow and will be determined to grow their knowledge base even as
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they exit the school system. We will also see both curriculum and classroom activities that reflect
the entire student body and their beliefs and interests.
In conclusion, I feel the education profession is a difficult path that requires a lot of
blood, sweat and tears as well a number of long nights, difficult situations and moments testing
your will. However, I feel it is a truly rewarding profession that allows you the opportunity to
directly impact a number of students and prepare them to live successful lives. As a teacher I too
will need to be a lifelong learner to ensure the material I provide to students is relevant, but also I
will learn from the students as they will be full of information and ideas that I will have never
thought of. It is this opportunity to both influence the life of our youth but also learn from them
that will continue to motivate me. As part of this, my philosophy of education will continue to
grow as I move into the profession or any other path that I go down.