My Personal Philosophy of Education Essay -- Philosophy of Education

Education is not a group of classes containing a series of facts to be used on a test and then forgotten. Education is a series of tools that students use every day in the classroom and in the real world. The English language is the primary language of the United States and people use it to communicate throughout the world. Yet, many students have difficulty using the language properly. As an educator, I would like to make a difference and help students write better and use proper grammar and punctuation. All students are capable of learning and learning about language does not mean students simply learn a series of rules. Using the language is the key to understanding it. Like many teachers, I prefer an eclectic approach. I see rows and columns of seats, filled with students. The rows would be changed into small circles for group work, which would be a part of my approach to teaching. Signs on the wall address the rules for the classroom and the consequences for those that break the rules. I would use a combination of essentialism and progressivism in the classroom, as defined by Teachers, Schools, and Society, written by Myra Pollack Sadker and David Miller Sadker. Lectures, textbooks, and written assignments would be part of my teaching style. Certain subjects lend themselves to progressive assignments, but English should be taught so that students learn the rules of the language and how to apply them. This would be essentialism in action. Writing is undervalued in many English classes. Instead of writing a report about a short story, students could write a short research paper on a topic that interests them. By using proper grammar, they would be learning to use the rules of the language and become stronger writers. A... ...y during the summer of 2014 and I observed in Education 210 and 305 during the fall of 2014, so not much has changed about my methods or my expectations. I still believe an eclectic approach is best in the classroom because different students require different approaches to material. A wonderful observation I did gain during my experiences teaching lessons was the light bulb flicking on in students’ minds when they understand material and the joy of experiencing this. My observations affirmed my decision to go back to college and become a teacher and I sawmodels of instruction put into practice by my supervising teachers. It is good reinforcement when students can experience what books teach in a real classroom. My philosophy may yet change and evolve and if so, that is good. A philosophy that does not change means the person who wrote it has not experienced growth.