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EveryStudentHasHisorHerOwnStory:APhilosophyofEducation
ChynaR.MetzBannister
WesternNevadaCollege
CarsonCity,Nevada
May2016

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EveryStudentHasHisorHerOwnStory:APhilosophyofEducation

AsForrestW.Parkay(2001)writes,Thewordphilosophymaybeliterallytranslatedfrom
theoriginalGreekasloveofwisdom,whichisaqualitymanyeducatorspossess(p.115).The
decisiontobeaneducatorisnotonetotakelightly,althoughitisboundtobeseenassuch.
Teachersareanintegralpartofthefoundationoftheworldssocieties,shapingthemindsof
tomorrowsleaders,andarerolemodelsatthesametime.Educatorsareoftenonlyconsideredas
thosewhoadministerinformation,butteachingissomuchmorethanthat,aseducationismore
thanasetoffactstoregurgitate.Inordertoprovidestudentswiththemostvaluableeducation,it
musthelpthestudentslearnaboutthemselves,bedeliveredinawaythatensuresstudents
success,andberelatabletothestudentslivesoutsideoftheclassroom.
Onefacetofeducationthatisoftenforgottenisthatitisnotonlyaboutmeetingstandards
andaboutteachingstudentsabouttheirworld,butalsoabouthelpingstudentslearnabout
themselves.Schoolagecoincideswithmajordevelopmentalstagesinhumangrowth,and,with
twentyfivepercentofstudentstimebeingspentinclassroom,itisuptoteacherstohelpthem
ontheirjourneyfrommilestonetomilestone.Parkay(2001)explainsonetypeofintelligence
thatoftengetsoverlooked:emotionalintelligence,whichisrelatedtobeingawareofonesown
feelingsandknowinghowtomanagethem(p.305).Itisimportanttobeawareofstudents
feelingsjustasmuchastheirintelligence.LookingbackonfavoriteteachersinmyK12career,
allarethosewhomademefeellikeaperson,ratherthananumber.Teachersarenottheretobe
friends,butdohavearesponsibilitytobethereforstudentsemotionally.Somestudentsconsider
schooltobetheironlysafehavenawayfromhome.Assadarealizationasthisis,itshould

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alwaysbeapriorityforeducatorstorememberthateachstudenthasastory,afamily,andalife
outsideoftheclassroomenvironment.Thisiswhyestablishingacaringclassroom,Parkay
(2001)pointsout,isimperative.Acaringclassroomisoneinwhichallstudentslearntotheir
fullestpotential(p.334).Wemustalsounderstandthatlifecanbetoughsometimes,nomatter
whatage,andwhenpossible,educatorsshouldmakeanefforttohelpthestudentsfeelwelcome,
andthattheyalwayshaveanadulttoconfideinorseekadvicefromifnecessary.Educatorsmust
alwayskeepinmindthattheyarerolemodels.Thepointistostrivetoencourageandsupportall
students,beingsensitivetotheirspecificneedsandstylesoflearning.
Educatorsmustdelivereducationinseveraldifferentwaystoaccommodatethemand
ensuretheirsuccessintheirscholasticcareers.Sincestudentsareunique,itisnosurprisethatthe
wayeachofthemlearnsisunique.Studentswhoexcelinonesubjectareamaystrugglein
anotherduetolearningstyles,whichParkay(2001)definesasapproachestolearningthatwork
bestfor[eachstudent],(p.305).Thestudentwholearnsbestbysimplylisteningtoalectureand
takingnotesmayhavetroublewithhandsonlearning,astylewhichmayspelloutsuccessfor
anotherstudent.AsIhavewitnessedthisfirsthandduringmypracticum,itisalessonIwillcarry
withmeforlife.Educatorsmusttakenoteofthisandvarytheirstylesofteachingtoreachoutto
eachstudentandincreasetheirchancesofconnectingtothematerial,therebypreparingthemfor
lifeoutsideoftheclassroom.
Knowledgegainedintheclassroomisversatile,andsinceeachnewpieceequipsstudents
withnewinformationtouseoutintheworld,teachersshouldconnectsubjectmattertolife
outsideoftheclassroom..Thepointofeducationcannotbepinneddowntojustonedefinition
however,itismostusefulasanopendoortoalloftheopportunitiesthisworldhastooffer.Too

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often,teachersgetdistractedbythepoliticsofbeinganeducatorthattheyforgetthisfacetofthe
definition,andthatyearsdowntheline,theirstudentswillbemakingdecisionsthatwillhave
globaleffects,suchasvoting.Acommoncomplaintofstudentsisthatthesubjectmatterwill
neverbeusedinreallife,specificallyinthesciences.Tocombatthisandengagestudents,
therebyincreasingtheirparticipation,retentionofinformation,andabilitiestoutilizeitin
creativeandfunctionalsettings.Itisimportantforstudentstoknowthatalloftheirtimespentin
theclassroomismeaningful.Fromalgebratolearningstatecapitals,evenasearlyaslearningthe
alphabet,eachstepofthewayisimportantinsomeway.Thismayevenresultinstudents
wantingtolearnmore,eitheroutofsheerinterestoroutofasenseoffuturenecessity.Itisinthis
timethatstudentswillbegintothinkaboutwheretheywanttogoinlife.Byshowingthemhow
totakethefirststepsinwhicheverdirectiontheychoosebygivingthemtheknowledge
necessarytonavigatethemodernworld,itwillhelpthemtofollowtheiruniquepassionsand
develophobbiesandintereststhattheycancultivate.Inturn,anenvironmentforconfidenceand
anoverallincreaseinselfesteemispromoted.Theseinterestshavetheprospectofeventually
turningintoprofessionsastheybecomeadultsshouldtheyfollowthem.
Inadditiontohelpingstudentslearnfactsandskills,itisalsoaneducatorsjobtohelp
studentslearnaboutthemselvesandhowtomaneuverthroughthisworld,delivereducationin
waysthatcanreachallstudentsregardlessoftheirneeds,andshowthemthattheirtimespentin
theclassroomisvaluabletimespentpreparingthemtogooutintotheworldwithconfidenceand
sense.Althougheachteacherhasadifferentphilosophyofeducation,asParkay(2001)notes,
theyhavethesameultimategoallearningforeveryone,(p.113).

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References
Parkay,F.W.(2001).
BecomingaTeacher.
NewJersey:Pearson.