PHILOSOPHY of EDUCATION ___In Partial Fulfillment of The

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

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In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Elementary Education

Dr. Alvin Hickey

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By

Maria Janelle Hedden

185379

March 2010

I believe that the main purpose of education is to invest in our children and give them knowledge and understanding of the world they live in and the creator who made it. Every child is so different and has different learning styles but every child needs to learn and to grow. I believe that children learn a lot more in the classroom than just what is in the curriculum. I believe it is also a time to learn morals, social skills, respect, and patience. As a teacher my main focus will be on the children, and not on the curriculum. I want to be aware of the needs of the children and to help them as much as possible. I want to see the children desire to learn and enjoy learning instead of it being something that they hate. My teaching philosophy is a combination of existentialism and perennialism. Existentialism is a philosophical orientation that emphasizes the individual’s experiences and maintains that each individual must determine his or her own meaning of existence. Perennialism is a philosophical orientation that emphasizes the ideas contained in the Great Books and maintains that the true purpose of education is the discovery of the universal, or perennial, truths of life.

I believe that students learn best when they are taught under certain conditions and in certain ways. Some of these ways are by using the diversity of the students to encourage them to be themselves and use their creativity. Learning is so much more than reading words from a book and I want to use hands on approaches to learning with visual aids and things for the children to build and design to learn how things work. I do not want to put children on the spot and make them feel uncomfortable but I do want to encourage class participation as much as possible to ensure that they are paying attention and understanding the current topic. The curriculum of any classroom should include certain “basics” that contribute to students’ intellectual, emotional, social, and physical development. These basics are mathematics, social studies, sciences, reading, and writing. Establishing these basic subjects will give children a good core for their education. As a Christian who is also a teacher I believe that children need to learn about God and the Bible. God created the earth so therefore, everything that we learn is based upon that simple truth. Every bit of science and history would not mean the same thing without this fact first being established.

Students learn best in an environment that promotes learning. Some of the characteristics of a favorable learning environment are an organized classroom, a comfortable temperature, good lighting, and plenty of space. If the classroom is not organized then it will be a distraction for the children and slow down the learning process. If the classroom is too cold or too warm then the children will be thinking about getting comfortable and not about the lesson. If the classroom does not have good lighting then the students will not be able to see their work properly and it will strain their eyes. If there is not adequate space in the classroom then that will make it hard to get everything done and stay well organized. Being aware of these things and maintaining them will ensure an effective learning environment.

A teacher should have certain dispositions that will exhibit themselves in the way he/she behaves. Dispositions that are important for effective teaching are patience, cheerfulness, understanding, and a desire for knowledge. A teacher must be patient by nature because working with children is not an easy task. Kids love to test the patience of those in authority by misbehaving but as a teacher you have to handle it gracefully and tactfully. I believe that being cheerful is crucial for a teacher. Learning should be fun and if the teacher is not enjoying it then there is no way that the students will either. They will reflect what they see in the teacher. Understanding is another crucial disposition for a teacher because every child is so different and realizing this is a huge part in being an effective teacher. Every child has different learning styles and a different learning pace so they cannot be all clumped into one category. Understanding your students will be helpful in reaching them and knowing where they come from. Having a desire for knowledge is so important for a teacher because that is what we are trying to teach the students. If the teacher does not desire to learn more and have a passion for learning then the students will see that and they will not want to learn either.

Teachers play such a huge role in leadership that this is not a position to be taken lightly.

Kids look up to teachers and when they look up to me I want them to see a reflection of Christ and the love He has put into my life. I look forward to sharing my love of knowledge and my love of Christ with the children that I come in contact with from now on.