Philosophy of Education

By Teresa Maria Medrano

I remember walking into my first humanities class my freshman year of high school. It was

called Seat of Wisdom, which was a brand-new Great Books program which was kickstarting with

my class, Class of 2017. My hair was curled, my skirt was pleated, and I was told I would be called

“Miss Medrano” for this thing called “discussion”. Desks were circled round the classroom, and

we began to analyze The Iliad with a teacher to act as a chaperone as we students were allowed to

hit the ground running with thought, topics, notions, imagery—“Just say something,” we were

told, all called by our last names, on par with the teacher. We owned the classroom. “I know you

don’t know,” would come from the teacher after too-long silence, “I am asking you, ‘What do you

think?’” We were free to think, free to become ourselves. “I think this is beautiful,” I would say. I

would be asked, “Why?”, and I would answer.

The purpose of education is to best allow students to become who they are by teaching

them how to think. To become themselves, students have to learn to think for themselves to ponder

things that are true, good, and beautiful because they are pleasing to the mind, allowing growth

and healing to oppose the false, the bad, and the ugly that they may face the moment the students

step off of campus or even that which they struggle to shake off of their very selves. Education is

an opportunity for transformation, of identification of dignity, value, and worth.

I teach to inspire awe and wonder in my students of the true, good, and beautiful in

literature and in themselves, and to allow my students to learn they are loved and wanted exactly

as they are. I am to be knowledgeable of my given area and able to pass that knowledge onto my

students. The role of the teacher is to give the students the best possible opportunity to learn,
especially in transforming classrooms into safe environments for the students who might not have

that anyplace else.

The role of the student is to learn. This is best done by contributing to the learning

environment by being respectful to the teacher, fellow classmates, and to him or herself. Yes,

students must learn to be kind to themselves. The student ought to follow classroom procedures

and meet expectations set by the teacher for the student’s own safety and success. This is the

minimal role of the student. However, the most fitting role for a student is to learn about him or

herself by discovering who he or she is and how he or she relates to the material at hand, making

it meaningful to the best of their ability.

The role of the parent/community is to predispose their children to learning by aiding in

social, emotional, and physical needs, i.e. making sure each child is well-fed and well-loved. The

parents ought to be actively present to their children especially by showing interest in the

development of their children academically, physically, and emotionally, which is best

demonstrated by being present at the children’s school in volunteering, creating pleasant home

environments, and encouraging them to do their coursework. My personal recommendation is, and

always will be, to ask the child how school is going to open dialogue for genuine connection and

compassion.