Karina De Casas

September 8, 2014
Shannon Brown
Education 1100-063
My Philosophy of Education
I believe that my philosophy of education is a little bit of Existentialism but prominently Progressivism.
This philosophy is focused mostly on experiential learning which is what I find to be the most beneficial for my
students academic success. As a student, I must apply what Im being taught and not just intake all the material
without really understanding the concept and/or subject. Without that understanding, I cant really grasp the idea and
put it into everyday life.
My past experiences with school have led me to believe that this is the philosophy I want to follow. In
elementary school, my opinions were not very important in the curriculum of the teachers. They were the center of
the classroom and I felt very restricted to exploring any interests of my own. Even to this day, I dont really like
sharing my opinion because I feel that its not what I say that counts but rather the teacher has the better
understanding of the subject. Not until my later years of schooling did I realize not all teachers were as restricting. I
believe that some of my favorite teachers were Progressivists themselves and that sparked my love for learning and
being engaged in school. My teachers, mostly them in middle school and onward, were a very interesting group of
teachers. They allowed all types of voices to be heard no matter how absurd. At first, I thought it was such a waste
of time to listen to the opinions of those who sounded ridiculous. I didnt realize that as time went by, I became
tolerant of the ideas of others. This allowed me to have and open mind and allow myself feel empathy for other as
well. When I realized this, I was absolutely astounded and not until recently did I learn that my favorite way of
being taught had a name to it.
My job as a teacher, with Progressivism being the prominent philosophy of education, is to serve as a
mentor to my students. Unlike Essentialism, the teacher is not the center of the classroom and the importance is
placed on the students. I believe that Progressivism will help grow an inter-personal relationship between the student
and teacher and allow them as students to find a passion for learning. Every student has a unique need and different
learning ability and my job as a teacher is to teach all of them not just a certain group of them who understand.
Progressivism is the style of teaching where the childrens interest is what molds the curriculum. I want to teach
children in the elementary grades and I know that this is when their love for school either inclines or spirals to the
bottom. By allowing the interests of the students to play an important role, they will want to come to school and be

Karina De Casas
September 8, 2014
Shannon Brown
Education 1100-063
excited about what they are accomplishing as students. Instead of just standing in front of the class lecturing them, it
will be very beneficial for the students to have them actively participate amongst each other so they can acquire
social skills and as well as explore an interest. As a teacher, I want to have that sense of accomplishment that I
helped give a child a clue of what they will become later on through their education. I want to the light that shows
them different paths that can lead them to what they will become later in life.
As a student in Progressivism, I want them to be able to learn by doing. The students should be involved in
the curriculum and active in learning. They will be working in small groups to allow them to share different
interests with one another. The students must learn through hands on experience in order to make the most of their
education. They will interact with one another and improve their social abilities such as acceptance and
collaboration. The students will also have a definite say in establishing the rules for the classroom. The feeling for a
democratic room is very important because it emphasizes that each child is an individual that counts. Not only will
they feel more like individuals but this will also allow them to feel comfortable with the rules. The student should
not feel restricted in the classroom. Its very important to me that the child feels welcomed to share their opinion as
well as tolerate the opinions of others. Developing problem-solving and decision making skills are very important
for the students to achieve as well. These skills are not just important in their years of education but also in the years
after their education. I want the curiosity in my students to be provoked. I believe that curiosity sparks a hunger for
knowledge. The more intriguing a subject, the more they want to learn. This curiosity can be linked to the childs
individuality that is fundamental to their education which, again, reiterates the importance of that personal
connection to learning.
As a future teacher who believes in Progressivism, it is very important to me to have the students actively
involved. One way to achieve this is to allow them to create their own classroom rules along with the consequence if
someone decides to break one of the rules. It will function as sort of a way to engage the students with one another
and allow an interaction of thoughts to occur. This will allow Democratic principles to be practiced in the classroom
allowing the student to not only feel comfortable in the classroom but also feel like an individual that they are.
Rewarding the children of their achievements is also very important. By rewarding the class as whole, they will feel
inspired to work together to achieve their common goal. Being rewarded as an individual, will be motivated to

Karina De Casas
September 8, 2014
Shannon Brown
Education 1100-063
continue have personal accomplishments. These rewards can vary from getting a classroom pet to a receiving a
chance to pick out of the treasure box. Rewarding achievements can also work as self-assessments in which they
will know they are doing the correct thing in having an active participation in class. The assessments will be a
formative assessment rather than summative. I dont think that giving a child a final exam or unit tests has any help.
Theyre memorizing just to pass the class which will not stay in their heads. In a formative setting, they are more
personal and allow the teacher and student to grow through feedback. The student gains personal feedback and the
teacher can tell whether their lesson plan is efficiently getting the point across. Projects will also be assigned
including individual and group. Group projects will allow the student to work together and use one anothers minds
and thus, engaging them once again to cooperate with each other. The projects will be focused in what interests them
whether it relates to their lives or what they alone are fascinated with. I believe that this gives bonus points towards
their goal of individuality but it will also allow the child to have fun with their project. I would also want the parents
of the students to be just as active as their children. I believe that children take their parents actions and thoughts
into great consideration considering that they are the ones raising them and seeing their parents active in their
schooling it will only encourage them to be even more energetic in school. One idea I had in mind was, having the
child work on a mini project of their choice each week and have the parents write a small assessment of what they
about it so the children can later on share it, along with the project, to their peers. This will allow the students to
create their own project of their choice, bond with their parents, have a standing on how they are doing in the class
as well as engage their classmates to their ideas. Being active is greatly emphasized in the Progressivism and there
are multiple ways in achieve this. An idea that allows hands on learning could be growing our own butterflies. It
would literally show the students how a caterpillar matures into butterfly. I would find it rather difficult just explain
to the student how a butterfly matures without showing them what all that fancy vocabulary means. Going outside
and exploring the environment is just as effective. It allows the children to familiarize themselves with their
surroundings and not just see pictures in a book.
Technology has played a very big role in todays education. Although Im not a fan about using technology
with younger students, I do take into consideration that the next few generations will be surrounded with technology
on a daily basis. Keeping this in mind, technology will have a role in my classroom. This will include teaching the

Karina De Casas
September 8, 2014
Shannon Brown
Education 1100-063
children a little bit about what they are dealing with. Weekly visits to the computer labs will be ideal because it will
allow the students to experience technology on a personal level. Also, I love the idea of creating creative online
videos for the students to watch at home if they are having trouble with school work. They will be learning at home
without even realizing it. Creating projects involving the students to use technology will allow the child to engage
with hands on learning with the technology and also have the freedom to explore the many ideas shared online.
Their learning horizons will be expanded in technology and their personal interest.