My Philosophy of Education

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every day to the large-scale manufacturing line that we call "American Education.” Because of No Child Left Behind, education now does not have the component of personalization important to make significant learning encounters for students (Pieratt, 2010, p. 52).

While, I do not totally agree with the philosophy of Dewey, he has in my opinion along with other educators like Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky who also emphasizes student learning has helped pave the way for education in the United States. Dewey’s efforts to center education and learning around the child is commendable to say the least. “Dewey felt that all human association is educative” (Gutek, 1995, p. 486) and he also guarded education as being a selective process (p. 52) in which I agree. I believe that schools and students should be selective in the type of education they receive so that no student is left behind.

Educational Practice

My life and educational experiences has helped shape my philosophy of education in that I know that it has all been because of God that I am where I am today. Because I had decided to drop out of school, I came to realize later in life that I needed an education. Therefore, I returned to school and then, the passion of teaching set in. I have contemplated becoming an educator for a while now and in my classroom, I will implement instructional strategies that will allow for the light of my students to shine in all aspects. I believe that no student should be left behind just as Dewey believed that education should be student-centered. Therefore, my theory of practice will include implementing of methods like mind mapping, scaffolding, and peer tutoring. As a future educator, I believe that incorporating such methods and educational practices in the classroom will me with a better understanding of my students and help to instruct a diverse makeup of students in addition to assisting in creating a bond with each student. “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives” (Titus 3:14, New International Version).

Teacher-Learner Relationship

Teachers fulfill many roles (Graham, 2003, p. 125). Although my educational philosophy is student-centered focused, I believe because we all teach and learn, the roles of both the teacher and the student are vital to the learning process. The teacher role is to guide and instruct students in a way where they can feel a connection and safe in the classroom. It is important to remember that we are all educators and learners. How well a student gets along with their teacher matters when it comes to how engaged the student is in their learning. When the relationship between the teacher and the student is comprised, it is not conducive to learning. However, the quality of the relationship between the teacher and the student determines a student’s successful school adjustments.

Having a warm and trusting relationship with the teacher creates a low degree of conflicts and creates a positive school environment (Baker, Grant, & Murlock, 2008, p. 3). I believe just as I shared in my philosophy that having a good relationship with the teacher can help students achieve greatness! With that said, as a future educator, I will work hard at building successful, positive, and conducive learning environment for every student I teach. For students to intellectually grow, they must feel comfortable enough to be able to creatively express themselves to their teacher and in the classroom.

Diversity

Diversity simply put is the variety of things (people). Therefore, when it comes to education, factors that teachers need to consider include but are not limited to varying races, backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and ethnicities. However, as a future educator of Faith, I know God as the creator of all things. He created us all unique in his image and because of this, I believe diversity should be embraced rather than disgraced.

One author says that, humanistic, realistic, normative, and transformative are believed to be what it takes to teach to and through cultural diversity and because cultural differences are key to humanity, “they should play a central role in teaching and learning” (Gay, 2013, p. 61). I concur with this belief. It is imperative for teachers to be sensitive to the ethical and cultural differences of their students especially where the curriculum and other educational materials are concerned.

Conclusion

In closing, my ultimate philosophy is that everything starts and end with God. He created the world, uniquely made each of us different and afforded everyone with the ability to learn. Times have changed in the educational systems tremendously since the western educational days. However, because of educational philosophers like Dewey, education in the American system has been able to expand on moving from a teacher-centered approach to more of a student-centered one which gives students the opportunity to engage in their educational process. Furthermore, teaching is a gift that not everyone is equipped to handle. I believe that God chooses certain people for certain callings and it is my personal philosophy that life has made me a much stronger person who has a passion for teaching. It is my prayer that when the day comes and I can stand at the head a classroom that I am able to connect, educate, and instruct my students based on the Word of God so that they may grow and succeed academically, professionally, and personally.

References

Baker, J. A., Grant, S., & Morlock, L. (2008). The teacher-student relationship as a developmental context for children with internalizing or externalizing behavior problems. School Psychology Quarterly, 23(1), 3.

Baugher, S. L. (2013). The courage to learn student-centered learning. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 105(2), 3.

Gay, G. (2013). Teaching to and through cultural diversity. Curriculum Inquiry, 43(1), 48-70. doi:10.1111/curi.12002

Gutek, G. L. (1995). A history of the Western educational experience (2nd ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press

Graham, D. L. (2003). Teaching redemptively: Bring grace and truth into your classroom. Colorado Springs, CO: Purposeful Design Publications.

Mundhenk, L. G. (2004). Toward an understanding of what it means to be student centered: A new teacher’s journey. Journal of Management Education, 28(4), 447.

Pieratt, J. (2010). Advancing