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My Education Philosophy

Kathryn Hoerger

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Dr. Joni Burris

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‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’, was the most frequent question asked as a

child. Most children responded with a firefighter, a doctor, an astronaut, or even a veterinarian.

Those responses changed daily depending on what happened that day or something new that they

learned. However, growing up, my answer always remained the same; a teacher. I’ve always

loved being in the classroom and being able to learn something new every day. As a teacher, I

want to make sure my students get that same opportunity and can get excited about learning, just

as I did. There are many ways one can go about this; however, I believe John Dewey had the

right idea.

Dewey was known as a zealous philosopher and an influential educator. His beliefs were

known and followed by many. He believed that students should come first in the classroom and

be active participants in their own learning. This was his educational philosophy and was

referred to as progressivism. Progressivism, also known as pragmatism, recognized that,

“students learned by doing and their interests had to be a driven force of the learning experience

(Koch, 2015, p.43).” Dewey believed that students learn best from experience and by doing,

rather than sitting in a classroom talking about accomplishing. He also believed that it is

important for students to learn and be taught in the context of daily living. He thought that

students who learn how to live and work well with others would be successful in real life

situations (Koch, 2015). After reviewing John Dewey’s philosophy and his views, I realized that

many of my beliefs about education in the classroom, matched his.

As a future educator, I believe teaching is one of the most important jobs one can have.

Teachers are in charge of preparing future generations for, not only the next school level, but life

in general. I believe students learn best when they are interested in what they are learning, and

the teacher is passionate about what they are teaching. Dewey says, “students needed to
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participate in decisions that affected their learning and that they should be guided by

academically autonomous teachers- that is, teachers who were not bound by rigid rules about

what and how to teach and who were able to build on students’ strengths and talents (Koch,

2015, p.43).” Students learn best when they are fascinated and inspired in what they are learning.

For some students, school is not their favorite place to attend and they struggle to keep on track.

It’s up to the teacher, to implement their students’ interest into the curriculum, so they want to

attend and keep their students involved. Like Dewey, I also believe that it is important for

students to be taught in the context of daily living. Students who are taught with real life

experiences, are more aware and better prepared for the real world.

In my classroom, I hope to be passionate about what I am teaching and keep my students

involved in their learning. I can do this by getting to know my students and learning their

interests and creating a comfortable environment. By knowing their interests, I can implement

them into the curriculum, so that way they are excited about what they are learning and be

inspired in the lesson. I also can create assignments that are more open, so my students can

incorporate what they love and what they learned at the same time. As a teacher, I hope to be

able to teach my students with real life experiences and prepare them for their future. I can do

this in lessons, assignments, and projects and also use stories and give scenarios to relate real life

situations. I hope by doing all of this, my students will be excited and fascinated by what they are

learning and will enjoy their education.

When my students are asked what they want to be when they grow up, I hope my

classroom inspires them to think and learn about their answers. John Dewey was a great

philosopher who believed that students need to be in charge of their education and be prepared

for the future. Many of my beliefs on education, matched Dewey’s philosophy progressivism. I
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hope to implement my beliefs in the classroom and meet the needs of all of my students, all

while inspiring them to learn.

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Reference

Koch, J. (2015). TEACH. 3rd Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
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