MBensonPhilosophyOfEducation

Running Head: Personal Philosophy of Education

Personal Philosophy of Education

Meghan Benson

Azusa Pacific University Cadre 15


One of the major theories taught by credential programs today is the theory of

multiple intelligences. Educators are trained to understand and identify learning styles in

order to best adapt their curriculum to each child’s needs. Just as students have different

learning styles, educators have different teaching styles. The way an educator views

education, their students, themselves, the curriculum, and the classroom are due to the

educator’s personal philosophy of education. As an educator, I think it is important to

not only evaluate your personal experiences when developing your philosophy of

education, but to research the philosophies associated with education. The following

outlines my personal philosophy of education in each of the areas mentioned above:

education, the student, the teacher, the curriculum, and the classroom.

After studying perrenialism, essentialism, progressivism, existentialism,

constructivism, and the Socratic method, I found that I best identify with two related

philosophies: progressivism and constructivism. Both progressivism and constructivism

encourage a student-centered classroom where students are taught by real-life

experiences and situations. The teacher is more of a facilitator of learning or a guide that

encourages critical thinking and problem solving from his/her students by using questions

and student curiosity (Liepolt, 2004). Both philosophies support collaborative projects

and alternative assessments. Progressivism is very centered around experience and social

responsibility, and constructivism is geared towards evolving ideas and building or

changing prior knowledge (Loss, 2010). It is these characteristics that I believe in and

strive for as an educator.


Education

The goal of education for society involves creating contributing members of

society. Education encourages students to become responsible adults with positive

effects on the future of our country and our world. School teaches students to interact

with one another in a variety of settings, and it has the role of teaching our students the

ways of our society, the history and the present issues, as well as the roles they do and

will play in society.

The goal of education for the individual is to create a life long learner that is

knowledgeable about a variety of topics that are not only of interest but that will help the

individual student survive and be successful in our society. School, like society, is a

place for students to come together and to learn from each other. School is a social

playground as well as an academic one.

My thought that education should teach social responsibility and citizenship is

supportive of progressivism as Cohen mentions in 1999 in her paper on Philosophical

Perspectives.

The Student

The student is dependent on the teacher, classmates, and society. I think the

student is dependent on these three because he/she works with each. The teacher is the

student’s guide and the student looks to the teacher for advice and direction. Society is

where the student will end up. The societal rules need to be passed on to the student so

they can succeed in the real world. Classmates collaborate with the student on a daily


basis both in and out of the classroom. The student depends on classmates for

friendships, social needs, and academic needs. Above these dependencies though, I think

the student is the most important person in his/her education, which is supported by

constructivism according to Glasersfeld (1989) in Cognition, Construction of Knowledge,

and Teaching.

The Teacher

The teacher is the guide for students and should be a safe person for students to

talk to (Bauersfeld, 1995). The teacher holds the valuable information the student needs

to become a successful and contributing member of society. The teacher’s

responsibilities include educating to the best of his/her ability, ensuring the safety and

well-being of the child, assisting students with growth both academically and

emotionally, and communicating about each student’s education with the parent, student,

and administration.

As a teacher, I value telling the truth, being on time, respecting others and

yourself, and taking responsibility for your own actions. My hopes for my students

include pride, ambition, and self-worth. I want my students to have pride in the work

they complete for me, for other teachers, and for any employer they have in the future. I

want to teach my students to turn in their best work and use their best efforts to complete

their work. I want my students to be ambitious and go for the “A”. I want them to go to

college, build goals and dreams, and follow through on them. I want my students to feel

their self-worth. I want them to know they are important and can make a difference in

the world. They are the future and we are putting it in their hands.


The Curriculum

We should teach the students in our schools about life. We should teach them the

basics of math, English, social science, and science, but also about physical education

and health. We need to strengthen our children’s talents as well as their weaknesses by

allowing them courses and other opportunities to pursue those passions. I think that

content should be analyzed for what will be necessary to use in the real world and how it

will be applied beyond the walls of the classroom. Curriculum should be selected based

on relevance to the teachers, students, and the school. Will it teach goals that are

designed for students? Will it encourage and support the 21st century learner? Does it

challenge students to think critically? Questions like these support progressivism and

constructivism in that they emphasize real-life problem solving and critical thinking in

the curriculum (Liepolt, 2004).

The Classroom

In the classroom, I value organization, planning, honesty, ambition, collaboration,

and respect. For these reasons, my classroom will be neat and orderly with aligned seats;

clean without clutter and with organized walls; structured with an agenda and always

planned ahead of time for my students and myself; reflective of what will be taught and

learned so that students know what is expected of them; representative of student

accomplishments and progress; split into teams and groups for group work or pair work;

and a safe place for students to share, answer, and propose questions without scrutiny

from peers or the teacher. Collaboration and student questioning are both supportive of

constructivism according to Liepolt (2004).


In terms of discipline, I think students should be respectful of a teacher, and a

teacher should be respectful of students. Classroom rules should be simple and easy to

follow with consequences that are easy to implement and simple for students to

memorize. That way students and teacher know what is expected and know what the

expectations look like.

In conclusion, my support and implementation of constructivism and

progressivism can be seen through my views on education, student and educator roles,

curriculum, and the classroom. I value a student’s interests in designing curriculum and

encourage curiosity from students as well as learning through discovery and teaching

others. Students should experience real-life problems in the classroom and need to be

prepared for the expectations of society upon graduation. The student should be the

focus of the classroom with the teacher as a facilitator, providing critical thinking

opportunities for students. Constructivism and progressivism not only support these

thoughts, but they support each other. It is with the best of my abilities that I will portray

these philosophies and build upon them in the classroom.


References

Bauersfeld, H. (1995). The Structuring of the Structures: Development and Function of

Mathematizing as a Social Practice. Retrieved from

http://books.google.com/books?id=XwLvxSspCU8C&pg=PA137&lpg=PA137&

dq=heinrich+bauersfeld&source=bl&ots=kilLqBNaE7&sig=9it9Di3zmooYS_KZ

dzGZF5ZOKak&hl=en&ei=PdcaTK7ZO4XgNaq3necM&sa=X&oi=book_result

&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CCUQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=heinrich%20baue

rsfeld&f=false

Cohen, L. (1999). History and Philosophy of Education [Online Module]. Retrieved

from http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html

Glasersfeld, E. (1989). Cognition, Construction of Knowledge, and Teaching. Synthese,

80(1), 121-140.

Liepolt, W. (2004). Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning

[Workshop]. Retrieved from

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html

Loss, C.G. & Loss, C.P. (2010). Progressive Education - Philosophical Foundations,

Pedagogical Progressivism, Administrative Progressivism, Life-Adjustment

Progressivism [Article]. Retrieved from

http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2336/Progressive-Education.html

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