Philosophy
of Education
When children are asked
about school, they should not think negative thoughts or show a grimace of
disgust. School should be engaging for them.
They should be eager to come to school and learn every day. In order to accomplish this, teachers need
to encourage children?s natural diverse desires to learn. Students need to have hands-on experiences
with concrete materials in order to construct their own knowledge. As a teacher, I plan to give students many
opportunities to interact with materials and create their own
understandings. This philosophy is
developed from John Dewey. I believe
these views are important because every experience is a learning experience,
especially for young children. Children
should have the chance to choose how to play with blocks or how to use an
object such as a calculator so they are able to enhance their own
development. Allowing the children to
play that relates to daily experiences and elicits problem solving contributes
to their intellectual and social development.
John Dewey believed in letting the children have freedom in their
learning, which improved their knowledge of the environment. Students need to be comfortable in their
environment and be able to ask their teachers questions, which will help them
understand the importance of learning.
Teachers and parents should work together to be positive role models for
children. In an ideal situation, the
students should be taught good citizenship, which will build their
self-esteem. This citizenship can be
observed and learned from the teacher, the parents, the environment, and other
students. To benefit the students in
the long run, they should be taught good study habits early on in their
education. The goal of reaching all of
the students can be met by having students construct their own knowledge. This will also allow for individualization
of instruction and accommodation for students with special needs. The classroom should be set up so that all
different learning styles and cultural experiences can be utilized. Students should have access to any resource
available to get the most out of their education. The subjects should be intertwined and integrated, and the
classroom should have some technology from which the students can benefit. Howard Gardener is a supporter of teaching
in different styles to allow for every learning style to be accepted. By teaching in different ways, I am allowing
all of the children a chance to understand.
All of these things would create an ideal education for today?s youth.