My Philosophy

My philosophy as a teacher as educators, I believe it is important that personal beliefs about education be explored. This should be an ongoing and evolving process, however I find the philosophies of progressivism and reconstructionism within my fundamental beliefs about teaching.

My personal philosophy of education involves ideas found within progressivism. I agree that students learn best through real-world experiences which are meaningful to them. I believe that while some students may be able to learn from the "Great Books" and established "lists" of what is necessary to be culturally literate, students may not necessarily be able to actually relate to this material. In my own education, I have been able to memorize and regurgitate information in order to earn good grades, however I have not always related to the information, or seen it’s relevance to my personal life and interests. In these situations, the information was often "lost" after I performed for a test. This approach to learning was, in my opinion, an effective use of my educational time.

My personal experiences contribute to my philosophy today in that the most meaningful learning takes place when students are motivated and interested. It is my belief that the way to achieve this is by giving students a voice in the learning process, and by assisting them in finding connections in the curriculum with their own life and interests. By allowing students to bring their own stories, experiences, and ideas into the classroom, this provides the students with opportunities to work together, to learn from each other, and respect each others’ differences.

I see my own personal philosophy of education as being eclectic. I believe in a student centered approach which incorporates ideas found within progressivism and social reconstructionism. I feel my approach to teaching also involves ideas found within theories of constructivism and behavior modification.