Philosophy of Education

The world is an amazing place. So are people. Our job as teachers is to discover, learn, and share with others. Learning and growing can be a joyful adventure of life.

Part of the adventure is in discovering who we are. A quick glance reveals we are all unique with different abilities, challenges, and values to contribute. . As teachers, we need to reveal to our students their gifts and assist in applying those gifts in productive ways.

To learn requires change, knowledge, action, thought, or attitude. In discovering who we are, we find change and growth can be difficult. Many times, it is so difficult and we may choose not to participate. We are all for change until it effects or affects us; people require motivation and energy to accept change. It is here we need to encourage and support each other in these challenges. This is the challenge of teachers. Teachers not only possess knowledge, they know how, and care enough to, motivate their students. Education requires motivation.

I identify with the progressive teaching philosophy; however, I am very reluctant to accept labels, for they are constricting. In addition to progressivism, I believe that there are absolute truths in life, I see value in the classics, in discipline and respect in the classroom, and involving all students. John Dewey states. “Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself” (ThinkExist.com Quotations). This example is my philosophical approach, and therefore, I consider myself a modified progressive.

Students need to know about life. To be successful we have to focus on the goal, not on the journey. The journey, if you focus solely on it, becomes hard and discouraging. The goal is exciting and encouraging. I am an advocate of learning by doing, and curriculum involving the mind, hands, and heart. I strive for enthusiastic and motivated learners to grow and become leaders. This can only happen when you engage the total body. The YMCA uses the phrase, “Mind, Body, and Spirit” to describe such a holistic approach.

In preparing our students for life, we need to promote a sense of community. We all need to acknowledge our uniqueness while celebrating all we have in common. Students need to know how to love and accept each other as we seek to learn and grow to our full potential. They need to learn how to work creatively with others and solve problems in a global community. This sense of community involves teachers working together, teachers as partners with parents, and teachers involving students in the community.

As we need to relate to people, we also need to connect to what we are learning. Learning is relational. To learn something we need to relate to it and its application. Learning is built on prior experiences and understanding. Learning is experience and applied to further understanding.

Learning is growing and it is what living things do. If we are not learning, we are not growing. If we are not growing, there is no adventure and life is empty. Teachers can be an important part of life’s adventure. Teachers can help us learn to, solve problems, overcome obstacles, experience teamwork, accept responsibility, love ourselves, love others, and begin to understand our world. My goal is to demonstrate to students that learning can be fun, and while I am at it, have some fun teaching!