Philosophy of Education

From an early age children are learning and figuring out the world from their
perspective. Infants touch everything, and put many things in their mouth because all of
their information is processed by sensory motor skills. Toddlers begin to ask simple
questions like why?, and from those simple questions evolve much more complicated
thought processes and hopefully in adulthood critical thinking. So naturally because
humans are by nature curious beings, students logically are equally curious. In this way
education should cater to students curiosity while at the same time fulfilling societal
goals.
Overall the schoolhouse is seen as a place of learning in an academic sense but a
principal foundation of modern education was Horace Manns development of the
common school in 1838. Mann described six characteristics that every school needs in
order to be successful. First that the public could no longer remain ignorant; the public
had no concern for what happened in a school, they didnt see it as necessary or
important, it was a way to pass the time until a student was old enough to enter the
workforce. This way of thinking could no longer take place if the economy ever wanted
to advance beyond industry and Mann understood that. Second that such education
should be paid for, controlled, and sustained by an interested public. Manns idea here
is one that our current system believes in as well and is a continuation of the first, that if
the only support that a student is receiving is at school, their chance of retaining any
lesson learned in school are very small. It takes a village to raise a child. Third that this
education will be best provided in schools that embrace children from a variety of
backgrounds. It is strange to think that someone would be denied education because of
where they came from, but it was as prevalent then as it is now if not more so. Our
schools have come a long way in accepting everyone but there is always room for
improvement. Mann proposed this idea in 1838, but it wasnt until over a century later
that any action was taken to ensure this. In 1953 Brown v. Board of Education became
a beacon of hope that school would be for everyone. This court decision made
segregation illegal in schools. Other political pieces have made huge strides for equal
opportunity schooling such as Title IX, and the IDEA act, these three made it possible
for some students today to have the inability to fathom what school would be like
without Americans of African descent, women, or the cognitively impaired. How unfair it
would be for us not to include those people. Fourth that this education be secular. This
supports the constitution and the need for separation of church and state. Fifth that this
education be taught by the spirit, methods and discipline of a free society, this idea
illuminates equal opportunity and just how ahead of his time Mann was. A free society
allows for independent thinking as well as movement between the classes, social
classes that is. Born into poverty doesnt equate to dies in poverty, ideally. Sixth, and
finally, that education should be provided by well-trained, professional teachers. Mann
understood that a quality education could not be obtained from someone whose own
education was incomplete. An automobile factory would not expect someone who was
not well-trained, nor a professional in their field to produce quality automobiles, neither
should parents entrust their childs education to poorly trained, unprofessional teachers.
Horace Mann had revolutionary ideas for his time, and the fact that our system now
sees these as common place and a foundation to improve upon is proof enough of how
impactful he has been in modern education and how truly deserving he is of the title
father of American public education(Messerli,1972).
Personally I identify as a progressive educator: the teacher is not in the school to
impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of
the community to select the influences which shall affect the child and to assist them in
properly responding to these influences John Dewey (Field,2001). I think that it is a
combination of the ideas of Mann and Dewey that really shape how I view my role in the
classroom. There are many experiences and influences in a students life outside of the
class room. To ignore that would be educator suicide, so as Mann suggests the public
cannot be ignorant. A teacher must be active in the community, specifically in such a
way as to connect to the parents and understand the environment of the students.
Building relationships with the village that is responsible for the student is crucial to
understanding the student, and in turn educating them. Understanding the community is
also a way to be aware of the immediate goals of that society. This includes their social,
economic, and political goals. What behaviors are expected of these children? What are
they expected to provide for their family, or their future? What are the views of
education of the people in power in the area? These questions identify the ways in
which those goals affect the students and the performance required of the educator.
Awareness of all of these factors makes for an engaged and relevant teacher, which is
great but not enough if that teacher does not believe that every student has the chance
of success for any reason. A teachers expectations influence a students success. I
have worked with and been surprised by enough people that I understand that everyone
is at a different place in their life, and learning, because of these differences everyone
learns differently and performs differently. There is no right or wrong version of a
person, and no one should be made to fit a mold. All students should be met where
they are in their schema, and brought to their fullest potential. This statement can be
tricky because what if the belief is that their fullest potential is very low? Ask a student
what they think of themselves and where they are headed, and set the bar a little higher
than that. When they hurdle that bar, reevaluate and continue to set the bar a little
higher than what they think they can achieve. While doing this give real steps to
achieving those goals. You want to be a policeman? Or a nurse? Here are the steps
needed to reach those goals. That in my opinion is the ultimate responsibility of a
teacher, inspire students to dream, and help them make dreams a reality.
The role of a teacher is not to fill a students head with knowledge or dictate to them
what they should learn. The role of a teacher is to guide the already curious student in
the areas that they wish to explore while opening their eyes to areas of study that they
werent aware of before; preparing well rounded critical thinkers. A teacher should be a
resource and a guide for all students.