Running head: MY PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY 1

My Professional Philosophy: Revised Edition

Eden Driscoll

Western Illinois University

MY PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY 2

My Professional Philosophy: Revised Edition

In the professional philosophy paper that I wrote last year, I listed four core values from

my spiritual background that informed my practice. The first was that we humans are called to

love one another, which I interpreted in my professional role as respecting everyone and their

identities. The second belief was that we must celebrate differences as a way to add richness to

life. I connected that value to the concept of embracing the ‘whole student,’ or in other words,

considering students as individuals with unique potential and life experiences. Thirdly, I said

that I believed that humans were put on Earth together in order to help one another. For this

reason I valued collaborative environments that encouraged students in making ethical decisions

and being socially responsible. Finally, I described my desire to never stop learning. By being a

curious and reflective professional, I can continually enhance my practice to better support

others.

These core values have not changed, but my understanding of them has become more

complex throughout my time in the program. In particular, I do not believe that I can truly love,

help, or celebrate other people without trying to dismantle the systems of oppression that uphold

hate, condemnation, and disregard. For that reason, using my practice to promote social justice

has become central to my professional philosophy. In order to attempt effective social justice

work, I now consider critical theory and ​poststructuralism when thinking about how the ‘whole

student’ interacts with the world and how these interactions shape their sense of identity. I also

believe that constant, critical reflection on how I uphold and am influenced by oppressive

systems is an essential part of my commitment to continual learning.

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Furthermore, even though I may not be an official faculty member, I still consider myself

an educator since I co-create knowledge with students. I have found Baxter-Magolda’s (2004)

Learning Partnerships Model (LPM) to be very influential in how I challenge and support

students. I constantly try to situate learning in the student’s experience, validate their capacity to

know, and portray knowledge as socially constructed (Baxter-Magolda, 2004, p. 41). I use the

LPM in conjunction with critical theory and poststructuralism to inform my advising and

programming. In this way, I intentionally design conditions that foster students’ ability to build

from their existing knowledge and transform it into new ways of thinking. This is particularly

important for my work in international education since the students with whom I work must

reconcile their existing cultural knowledge with that of their host countries in order to adapt to a

new environment.

In summary, I am an educator who aspires to both challenge and support students through

transformative learning experiences that promote self-awareness and a sense of personal agency

while simultaneously deepening their comprehension of how they interact with and navigate

systems of oppression. As a reflective, social justice-oriented professional, I am dedicated to

continuing my personal learning and development in order to better serve others. Through my

practice, I hope to encourage intercultural understanding, the dismantlement of oppression, and

respect for the dignity of every person.

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References

Baxter Magolda, M.B. (2004). Learning partnerships model: A framework for promoting

self-authorship. In M.B. Baxter Magolda & P.M. King (Eds.), ​Learning partnerships:

Theory and models of​ ​practice to educate for self-authorship ​(pp. 37-62). Sterling, VA:

Stylus Publishing.