Brianna Ballard

Ch. 5 Assignment
My Educational Philosophy
As a teacher it is important to have an educational philosophy. A Philosophy is a set of principles
and beliefs we choose to live/teach by. A teachers beliefs strongly influence how they teach and how their
classroom will be ran. The philosophy a teacher teaches by influences their decisions and teaching
techniques. There are many different philosophies and you dont have to live/teach by just one. There are
four major branches of philosophy and four prominent philosophies used in schools today. I have my own
philosophies that I plan to teach by and I can only imagine what my beliefs and ways of teaching will
look like in a classroom.
I mostly believe in progressivism teaching and partly in social reconstruction. Progressivism is a
philosophy emphasizing real-world problem solving and individual development (Kauchak&Eggen,
157) and social reconstruction is a philosophy asserting that schools, teachers and students should take
the lead in addressing social problems and improving society (Kauchak&Eggen, 159). I was surprised to
find out that social reconstruction was part of my philosophy but I guess I do believe that an educational
goal to have would be for students to be able to contribute to the creation of a just society. I also believe
in the development of self-concept and interpersonal skills but also in learning content. Even though
essentialism isnt a main piece in my philosophy of teaching, I still believe students should acquire the
basic skills needed to function in todays world as well as develop life skills. I believe in teaching students
all that I know, as well as allowing them to learn on their own with guidance. I dont believe tests are the
best way to teach, but can be an effective way to test my teaching. I believe I am a huge motivator for my
students and I think they can be pushed when I know they havent/can reach their potential.
My chosen philosophy affects my teaching methods because they will be based on emphasizing
applications in problem-based learning, cooperative learning, guided discovery, discussion, collaboration
and student projects (Kauchak&Eggen, 161). The learning environment will be democratic,
collaborative, emphasis on learner responsibility, model for equity and justice (Kauchak&Eggen, 161).
The classroom management would be finding ways to change lesson plans to fit the needs and
personalities of my students. I would find ways to apply the lessons to real life and show them how this
information can benefit them beyond school. I would like to get them involved and let them practice it
themselves so they can find the value in it for them.
In a classroom you would see the students doing cooperative learning and collaborative work
with the teacher guiding and not lecturing. Teachers would give projects that allowed students to work
outside of the box and find ways to personalize and do projects that relate to them. There would be realworld problem solving and writing essays/papers that related or interested them. This is done is such a
way that the students are able to grow as individuals and allows all students to find a way to participate
and find meaning in school work. You would see teachers who are caring and putting an effort into trying
to relate to their students and be personable without alienating anyone. The teacher would lead
discussions with questions with allowing the students to learn from one another as well.
As of right now this is my philosophy of teaching but it is not set in stone. I know that it will
change and evolve as I gain experience and learn. I still am a little unclear of where I stand on how I see
my classroom being run, but I still have my beliefs and original reasons for wanting to become a teacher
and I know that this is what has helped me determine my first philosophy in teaching. I believe in
progressivism and social re-constructionism. These two philosophies will help influence my teaching
course, skills and ways of teaching from here on until they evolve into something more concrete. I like
how these philosophies look in a classroom and that is how I see my future classroom.

Works Cited
Kauchak, Donald P., and Paul D. Eggen. Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional. 5th ed.
Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2014, 2011, 2008. Print.