My Philosophy of Education

    I have been asked to write my philosophy of education several times now for various courses, and each time it changes. I do not see this change as a bad thing though. I see it rather as an evolution. An evolution based on the synthesis and evaluation of new information in the field of pedagogy. One might say that this view is in part one belief I hold pertaining to my philosophy. In order for teachers to remain successful, continual investigation needs to be pursued within the area of education. Teachers owe it to students and their families to stay current with educational research and implement knowledge gained in a manner that fosters the best learning experience for each child.
     One aspect of my philosophy that has certainly evolved over the past few years, especially since I've been teaching, involves the environment of my classroom. I have attended several workshops and conferences that focus on creating a classroom environment that promotes active participation and cooperative learning. After each one, I walk away invigorated with new ideas and an eagerness to implement them. The more I learn and use to plan my lessons, the more positive results I see from my students. Which ultimately makes my job easier and so much more enjoyable. When someone walks into my class, I want them to see the students actively engaged in diverse activities that take into account multiple intelligence's where students also confer with peers and share ideas. Learning should be a discovery process where higher-order thinking skills are utilized to learn new concepts that are not only relevant, but meaningful.
    Education in itself should not be just a method to feed individuals information needed to become the consumerist, cookie-cutter thinker I worry this society is creating. Individuals need to learn how to evaluate information to become better informed and make critical decisions that will not only affect themselves, but the society they live in. For this reason, I believe teachers have a responsibility to overtly teach character education and model appropriate behaviors that are conducive towards building character. Children are not born with an innate desire to improve themselves and the world they live in. They must be given the means by which to pursue these endeavors. Students need to be given opportunities to witness how their actions affect others and practice behaviors that foster positive citizenship.
    Another aspect of my philosophy that I feel very strongly about revolves around parents and their involvement in their child's education. Before I began teaching, I viewed this area of education from a parent's perspective. My experiences regarding my involvement with my daughter's education and school have been both positive and negative. Some teachers were obviously stronger proponents of the benefits of parental involvement than others. One year I even had to fill out an application to become involved with my daughter's school or class, and then was told they would give me a call if they NEEDED me! This was in September, I did not receive a call until late January asking if I was still available. I was literally disgusted. What is really sad is the fact that I believe the call was prompted by an ulterior motive. I happened to be taking Educational Psychology at the time. We had to choose a topic for a research paper. Due to my strong conviction regarding the importance of parental involvement, that was the topic I chose. The instructor, aware of my plight, eventually made a call to the school to inquire about their whole process of promoting parental involvement. After waiting  four months, I finally received a call. This should not be allowed to occur. This very practice is what helps construct the barrier between the school and the home. Research has shown that success rates improve when students feel a connectedness between school and the home and this is directly correlated with an increase in parental involvement within the child's school and ultimately his education. Now that I have been teaching, I have a deeper appreciation for the complexities of the issue. I might not always feel comfortable being observed by a parent and it also takes time planning and preparing how the parent will participate in the class. Although there may be more work involved with planning how to facilitate the involvement of parents in the classroom, the benefits and effects far outweigh the expenditure of the effort. It is my responsibility to make parents feel wanted and that their input is valued. A small price to pay for increased student achievement and better relationships with parents.
    I am sure that by the time I am finished with this course, my philosophy will have further evolved. I hope to incorporate new knowledge and experience gained within this class and use it to develop rich lessons that utilize technology as a resource. Education is a good thing indeed -- at any age.

September 9, 2003
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