Education Philosophy
Education philosophy is a set of beliefs that influence how and what students are taught and can be found in any school or teacher. It is a concept that addresses issues such as the need for education, the role of the teacher, and the content and methods to be taught.
Essentialism
Essentialism, which emphasizes high academic standards and a strong curriculum, is one of the most popular philosophies today.
Perennialism
Perennialism, on the other hand, places a high value on human knowledge derived from books and philosophical concepts.
Progressivism
The third is progressivism, which is based on personal interests and experiences, as well as the needs of students.
Existentialism
Finally is existentialism that is based on the belief of human free will and the need for individuals to shape their future.
My Education Philosophy
Basing on the reading, my education philosophy is based on the fact that each student has their own needs, abilities, needs, and interests. This philosophy employs the belief that education must emphasize on the entire child instead of the teacher or the content being taught. It pressures that the students have to test new ideas through energetic investigation and that knowledge originates from the enquiries of the learners arising from worldly experiences.
I always tend to be considerate on the needs of the students I teach. I achieve this through understanding the amount of knowledge that students have and their experiences about the topic I am handling. In this way, I can quickly know the kind of knowledge and information that my students need. I also give them ample time to experiment and apply their worldly experiences in deriving knowledge. As a progressivist, I believe that progress, change, and individuality are essential in one’s education and therefore center my curricula on the abilities, needs, experiences, and interests of the students.
Benefits of My Philosophy
My philosophy is student-centered and therefore will be of great help in handling the situation in question. First of all, the fact that it is based on the abilities, needs, experiences, and interest of the students will make my response to the situation efficient since it will enhance student involvement. The philosophy will enable me to be a guide to my students and a facilitator of every task we do in class.
One of the actual learning strategies that support the use of this philosophy is allowing students to participate actively in the learning progress through an encounter of real life from which they get firsthand information (Sadker, Zittleman, & Sadker, 2012). This strategy enhances the interaction of the students and also the utilization of their curiosity.
The second actual strategy is the building of cognition through a fusion of practice and theory. Through this fusion, the students gain knowledge by use of their ways and with the teacher’s guidance. This achievement will enable them to rely on themselves to understand every required detail of an exam or assignment without depending on the teacher to explain.
The third is the strategy of allowing the students to learn freely and only assisting them to discover a new truth when there is a need. This approach emphasizes that students should learn by doing since knowledge is dynamic and the perception about reality varies among individuals. Also, Knowledge is not static and all truth and reality changes. When the students embrace this idea, they become anxious and strive to understand their class work on their own (Sadker, Zittleman, & Sadker, 2012).
Conclusion
An education philosophy is essential for any teacher since it gives one an opportunity to define what teaching means to them. Teacher-centered philosophies are more conservative and emphasize knowledge and values that have survived for a long period while student-centered ones focus on a future orientation, individual needs, and contemporary relevance.
The student-centered philosophies also put the student at the core of the process of education. The philosophy of progressivism is among the mostly used philosophies that enhances learning. Allowing students to participate in their learning through various progressive methods is beneficial to them. It does not only enable them to do the tasks at hand successfully, but they also gain sufficient knowledge about what they are studying.
Reference
Sadker, D. M., Zittleman, K., & Sadker, M. P. (2012). Teachers schools and society. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
