Running

Head: Philosophy of Education

Philosophy of Education By Cutis Johnson Azusa Pacific University

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The diversity of educational theories en vogue today is large enough to have

created some very fundamental differences within the educational community for some time now. As a teacher we must take information from these various theories and create a coherent approach to our profession that, to as great a degree as possible, allows our students to make the most of their time with us. To that end, this paper will attempt to explain my personal philosophy of education and its implication for my students. Part I School and Society From my perspective as a teacher, the broad goals of education in America

revolve around preparing students to be capable members of society in adulthood. I know that a lot of people advocate for a system that develops life long learners but I feel that if we are going to be truly honest with ourselves, we will need to accept the fact that there are a great may people and families that do not put education very high on their list of life goals. For those people, an education that allows them access to social norms and institutions is imperative. Therefore, though it does speak to the lowest common denominator to a degree, I feel that this has to be the broad goal of our educational system at its base level. Of course, we also need to challenge and push the vast majority of students that attempt to get the most out of their education. Im not discounting them by any means. Im simply suggesting

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that we need to look at education from the perspective of all, and not just the average or exceptional. I believe school plays many roles within out society. At their most basic level

schools provide children an opportunity to learn simple educational concepts. Through these, students can gain the ability to access society's form and function. For those willing to engage at a more developed level, schools allows for an expansion of knowledge into broader areas of study, such as history, science, physical development, music, art, and so on. Beyond this schools also act as a place to develop social skills and an

understanding of the roll of citizenry within our society. Be it learning how to properly interact with their fellow classmates or learning the pledge of allegiance, kids are indoctrinated into a great many of our social and political norms at school. To achieve these and other nations educational goals multiple groups have

taken up various rolls. Since the vast majority of students in this country are educated in a public setting, government obviously plays a major part. From staffing to curriculum, there is little of education that is not effected by the government. The other major player in the equation is, of course, the family. How much a child gets out of the system is directly proportional to family expectations in most cases. The roll of business and churches in education is much more fluid based on

their desired involvement and the willingness of people to accept that involvement. I believe that their impact ebbs and flows throughout time. In the current

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environment, both seem to have a more active roll in the form of private and charter schools. Whether that will remain the case in the near future or not depends on a great many factors, most of which are far beyond my predictive powers. Part II My View of the Student Let me begin by saying that I think it's impossible to speak about a the

Student in general terms because all kids bring something different to the table. With that in mind, I'd have to say that I see each student as an individual among many, with their own skills, motivation levels, needs, and desires. I believe that a one size fits all approach to education will never be fully successful because it does not take the individuality of students into consideration and, as a result, can never be all things to all kids. That being said, schools need to find as many ways as possible to help

students reach their potential. I believe that school is the gateway to a more fulfilling life. There is nothing wrong with hard work and physical labor as a means to an income, but there is a bodily toll that comes with such things. This I can attest to myself. Education provides opportunities in employment and other aspects of life that may broaden ones world or simply make it less painful in the long run. I would hope that all of my students have an opportunity to make that choice in life, and not simply have to accept the one or two paths put before them after high school.

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In the end, however, it is their education and only they can choose to access

it. Their roll is the only roll that matters. As a teacher, I distribute or guide students to knowledge, but only they can accept it, engage with it, and/or grow from it. If they don't want to learn the material I can't make them do so in any long term meaningful way. On the other extreme, those with a voracious appetite for information and learning will absorb as much as I can ever offer. Part III The Roll of the Teacher We are guides along the education trail for want of a decent (or bad)

metaphor. We can impart knowledge or guide students to it, but we are not the instillers of knowledge. Students must be open to learning if material is to be absorbed. Our job, therefore, is twofold. One, we need to find a way to connect with those students who have closed their mind to expanding their educations in order to get them to open up to the idea of learning. And two, we need to find the best and most engaging ways to allow students to access the knowledge. In order to achieve this goal we must take responsibility for all aspects of our

job. First and foremost, we are responsible for having a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. Without good classroom management little if no learning is going to take place. Once that requirement is reached, we then are responsible for helping students obtain the knowledge we have been assigned to teach. There are many different approaches to this requirement, but in the end, this is what we get

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paid to do. Finally, I believe that we also have a responsibility to model social norms such as civility, courteousness, and hard work. To achieve this we must step beyond the roll of a simple provider of

information and into one of a roll model. As such, clear expectations must be set and modeled. For example, I expect my students to be respectful of not only myself, but of their classmates and themselves as well at all times. I also must model these on a daily basis and hope that many, if not all, will learn to adapt them as part of their lifestyle outside of my classroom. Part IV How I Teach If I were required to pick just one of the prominent philosophies of education

discussed for this course it have to would be Progressivism. In Progressivism the learner is a problem solver who makes meaning through his or her individual experience (Cohen, 1999). Without relevance, the vast majority of students will not see a reason to care and therefore would not be motivated to develop anything more than a cursory understanding of material. That's certainly how math was for me. It was just numbers on a page and nothing more. Nobody ever told me how it impacted my daily life or gave me problems with real life situations at their core. The relevance wasnt there so neither was my interest.

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As for what Im actually required teach, I feel as though the basics of our

curriculum are good. The tree Rs, for lack of a better term, are still as important as ever and I assume will remain so for the foreseeable future. I think this is especially true at the lower grades, where building a strong educational foundation is the primary goal. At the upper grade levels, the core subjects are necessary as well. However, at this level I believe that more diversity should be injected into the curriculum. More focus on real world situations and solutions within these subjects would help kids grasp an understanding of how they will be used once they enter adulthood. In addition, classes that develop kids technological awareness will be more and more essential as we continue our transition from an industrial nation to being a part of a technology based global society. The question is therefore raised how should said curriculum be selected?

This is such a complex question in such a simple form. I would not presume to have a definitive answer to this question. Greater minds than mine have grappled with this topic for quite some time and still the debate goes on. From my rather limited perspective and experience I would make the following suggestions: 1. The curriculum should be standardized throughout the nation. If we have common expectations for our kids from one state to another, then we should have common curriculum as well. The ability to have state specific material should be included as part of the curriculum, but it seems silly to me to have

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children learning drastically different material form state to state in this day and age.

2. Committees of educational experts and teachers (i.e. people with an Education background) from each state should put together proposed curriculum that could be submitted to a national committee made up of representatives from each state committee. Using the state recommendations the national committee could then construct a national curriculum.

There may be a thousand reasons why these suggestions are a bad idea. For

me, these answers simply speak to the deficiencies I see in the current manner in which we create curriculum. Once curriculum is in place, I am then able to prepare my classrooms for

students. My classroom organization and management revolve around the idea of simplicity. There is rarely a need to make things more complicated than is necessary. In addition, learning is easiest when a topic is put forth in a manner that is not overwhelming or exceedingly complex, at least in the initial stages. As a result, my teaching style, classroom management, and room organization all try to incorporate these ideas. My room is kept very basic. Desks are angled in rows facing toward the front center of the room. There is rarely anything on the walls

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that is not for immediate use. This helps eliminate distractions and allows for better use of the space. My management approach is much the same. Lay down the law early, deal with all issue in class if possible, and treat all people with respect. If the message is clear, concise, and simple at the start of the year, rarely will I need to interrupt my class to deal with discipline issues in the long run. That message must always be put forth in a respectful manner however.

Teenagers do not want to be talked down to. They are trying to become adults and wish to be treated as such, even if they are not yet capable of doing it themselves. I tell my students at the start of the year why there is a need for a discipline system (to get my job done) and the impact behavior issues have on not only themselves, but on their fellow students and myself. Im completely honest with them about these topics. I tell them that I will treat them as I wish them to treat me. In short, give respect and you will get respect. Invariably someone will test this early on and the consequence is swift, clear, and public. I rarely have issues after that. With that out of the way I am able to teach my subject. But how will the

students, their parents, and I know if I am successful in my task? Student progress must be measured in a variety of ways. There is the obvious answer, tests and quizzes, but there is so much more to measuring student understanding than these basic tools. There are a great many students that can gain understanding but, for whatever reason, test poorly. As a result, incorporating projects, oral and written questioning,

 Philosophy of Education and class discussion into measurement is important to gain a true understanding of student knowledge. As for reporting student progress, I use a variety of tools at my disposal to 9

update students and parents on their class performance. The most obvious is the progress report and report card. They are still the standard. Beyond that however, my students grades are posted online as soon as I enter them into the grade book and can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection at any time. In addition to that, I have a phone call program called Teleparent that allows me to send individual or mass phone calls home on any topic, including class performance. Of course, if necessary I can always call home to speak to students or parents in person. Part V Conclusion My philosophy of education, as I have described it here, is representative of

my views at the moment, and is in no way definitive. If I were asked to write this paper five years ago its quite possible that my answer would be dramatically different. The same can be said for my view 5 years from now. Teaching is a profession that requires flexibility in a variety of forms, and I believe that if we are to be successful in the long run it is necessary to be adaptable and open to other

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approaches to teaching. In short, flexibility, above all, is the basic principal behind my philosophy of education.

 Philosophy of Education References Cohen, L., (1999). Section III - Philosophical Perspectives in Education. Retrieved from Oregon State University- School of Education website: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html 11