My Educational Philosophy

My philosophy of education is constantly changing. Right now, as a student, I think I

have a different perspective on our education system than I would have as a teacher. However,

considering the future, I hope I will become a teacher myself and incorporate my personal views

on education into my own classroom. I hope I can continue to progress my philosophy as I

become a teacher and learn from experiences that lie ahead. Over the course of being a student at

Geneva College, I feel prepared to now share my thoughts on the purpose of education, my

views about the learner, and my views about the classroom environment, and how I will

incorporate my ideas into my classroom practices.

I believe the purpose of education is to encourage your students to grow academically,

socially, and emotionally. I want my students to be excited to learn and grow. I want to instill a

growth mindset within my students. Teachers should be guides to help students grow in all

aspects of their life and not just discipline them to learn information for various academic tasks.

On the cover page of this portfolio, I included the following quote from Bob Talbert, “Teaching

kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best.” I find this quote to be a good

representation of my philosophy. The standards are essential to the student’s education, but I

think there is more to teach our students. As teachers, we have a responsibility to provide them

with the best education possible. This is why I believe that we should educate them to grow not

only as a student, but also as a human. This then requires us to foster their social and emotional

development as well. Teachers are purposed to push students to their full potential and make

them aware of their potential. Their full potential requires development in not just academics, but

also socially and emotionally. Socially, the teacher may show students how people are resources
of support and how to both give and receive that support. Emotionally, students need to build

confidence, which the teacher can do through providing a positive environment.

I also believe the purpose of education is not limited to occur just inside the classroom.

Ilina Das Ewen discussed in an article about what education meant to parents as she wrote, “I see

education as a lifetime journey, not a destination or a transaction." I completely agree with this

statement as I will continue to learn even after I am no longer considered a student. Everyone is

continually learning, and the teachers are the first ones to introduce what learning and school is

all about. School is the base that students may build upon as they navigate life. Their learning

does not end when their formal education ends. The teacher’s responsibility should be to prepare

their students to seek the opportunity to learn on their own. This then enables the student to

become independent and even teach others. This is why I think it is so important that teachers

spark interest, curiosity, and imagination in all their students. This is what has potential to excite

students about learning. This is what strives them to continue to take opportunities for learning

and involve others.

As previously stated, I think that what the learner should gain from their schooling is the

ability to seek learning opportunities independently, which may then lead them to teach others.

The student should gain personal, educational, and social growth and be able to continue

growing because of their education. School is where you learn what your interests are, how to

communicate with others, and how to express yourself. I want my students to develop all of these

and more. I want my students to know there is a purpose for what they are learning, so they

develop curiosity. I also believe the learner should gain relationships. Relationships with both

their peers and teachers will gain them support in their educational career. The relationship

should be reciprocal. The student can learn from the teacher, but the teacher may also learn from
the student. I believe having relationships with your students and getting to know them. When

you know your students interests, levels, and attitudes, this enables the teacher to connect to

them and connect their education to them.

I believe for the student to learn to their full potential, they must have an encouraging

environment that pushes them to continuously grow. I want my classroom to make my students

feel comfortable with risk taking. I want them to enjoy pushing themselves to their limits. My

hope is that school sparks an interest for them and it not become a place they dread coming to

every day. For my ideal classroom, I would like to have clusters of desks together so the students

may not only learn from me but also from each other. I want spaces in the room dedicated to the

reading corner with books of interest to them for students to enjoy during their free-time. This

space could also be used for the students to move to for a different activity, so they are not

confined to sitting in their desks all day. Overall, my main goal is for my students to learn to

their best potential and be eager to learn each and every day.

In conclusion, my philosophy of education will hopefully translate positively into my

classroom. I want my students to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. I hope they

understand the value of education and get excited to learn more. My goal is to leave an

impression on my students with the classroom practices I do. I want my students to be risk takers

who are comfortable enough to make mistakes and learn from them. I want them to feel secure,

learn from each other, and most importantly grow in all aspects of their life. My goal is to create

a classroom that fosters their academic, social, and emotional development always.