Philosophy of Education

So far I've posted about two of the three C's of my blog's namesake, but I haven't really discussed anything about my future profession, teaching.  For those who don't know, becoming a teacher isn't exactly a cake walk.  Not that I'm complaining (well, maybe a little bit), but becoming a teacher takes a lot of work and about ten times as much writing.  There's philosophies, standards alignments, lesson plans, classroom management papers, observation reflections, child development studies, Praxis tests, and Knowledge, Skill, and Disposition statements, all of which must be completed before you can student teach and put everything you've written about into practice.  Then throw all that work on top of your chosen Major coursework.  The good new about all that work is it does weed out people who are in the wrong program.  You've got to be either really dedicated and/or incredibly stubborn to keep going sometimes.

So for your reading pleasure, here is just a small portion of my teaching portfolio.  This was the easy part to write.  I will post a standard alignment to show the torture we must endure to endure more torture as a first year teacher in a middle school...just kidding! 

I wrote this my first semester at Platteville for Intro to Education.  There are some parts that I will probably rewrite before my second level interview, but you'll get the gist.

Philosophy of Education

The Role of Education

If humans were born with every possible skill they would ever need to prosper in life, then there would be no such thing as education.  But, because that is not the case, I believe education is the most important process in humanity.  The world is an ever-changing and constantly evolving place, and sometimes the changes are so rapid that it is hard to keep up.  Both the cause and solution of that constant dilemma is education.  As new ideas and methods are discovered, we have to learn what they mean and how to apply them to our everyday lives.  Thus, one is never finished learning.  The role of education is not just what students learn, but how they learn it, and how they apply that knowledge to future situations they will encounter in their walks of life.  There is no better teacher in the world than real life experience and I believe students must be educated to think critically and how to learn from those experiences to become contributing members of society.

The Role of the Student in Education

            I believe a student must be willing to take charge of his or her own education.  Students must have an open mind and be willing to explore different ideas, subjects and cultures because they’ll never know what they will find interesting if they don’t explore their options.  The most important role of a student is to ask questions and not be afraid to use all the resources available in his or her pursuit of knowledge.  They must also show respect for their teachers and fellow students by being positive participants in the classroom.  Students must have a sense of pride in their work and put forth their best efforts in everything they do, even if they think they are bad at or are not fond of a certain subject.

The Role of the Teacher in Education

            I believe the role of an educator is to teach students important life skills and to help guide them in their pursuit of education by exposing their students to as many things as possible.  A teacher’s biggest challenge is to teach in such a way that makes the students enjoy and be passionate about their education.  Teachers cannot make students learn; they have to make the students want to learn.  I also believe it is a teacher’s mission to challenge his or her students, because nobody knows what they are capable of until they try.  Teachers must always be willing to continue their own education and be flexible.  No two people learn the exact same way and a teacher must be able to adapt to their students learning styles.  Teachers must also be the leader in the classroom.  They must be authoritative and hold their students to the highest standards, but not be an authoritarian who is unreasonably demanding.  Teacher must also keep up with their own education to ensure they are teaching their students the most up to date information and methods.

The Role of the Teacher in the Community

            The role of a teacher in the community is to be a productive, proactive, and positive role model.  I believe that when one decides to be a teacher, that person has to dedicate themselves and answer to higher moral standards than one would in any other profession.  It is their job to be an influence to those who will dictate the future and if an educator wants his or her students to go on tog be productive members of society, then that teacher must lead by example.  If students see their teachers being active members of the community, then they will take the initiative to be one as well. 

Why I Want to be a Teacher

            Being a teacher wasn’t my first career choice, but looking back, I realized it was the right career choice for me.  I believe that knowledge is an incredible gift.  I decided to be a teacher after reading and writing a paper for a Freshman Composition course on a book by Lewis Hyde.  In that book was a chapter about the ‘labor of gratitude’.  That chapter explained how one cannot fully appreciate the meaning or reap all the benefits of a gift given to them until they pass it on to someone else.   I love learning, and more than I love learning, I love passing my knowledge on to others.  I want my students to have as much fun as I do when learning and I want to help guide them down the never-ending and winding path of education.