A personal philosophy of education is a theory of how one’s classroom should function.  A teacher must clearly understand his feelings and beliefs on a number of topics before entering the classroom.  With this said, however, one’s philosophy of education will remain in a constant state of flux, changing due to a number of circumstances, experiences, and situations.  Based on my present knowledge of the educational system through study and experience, my philosophy of education examines teacher and student roles in the classroom, teaching strategies that should be utilized, as well as the atmosphere and environment of the classroom.

The role of the teacher within the classroom is multidimensional.  The teacher acts as the trendsetter, a role model for students to follow.  He acts as a body of knowledge, with expertise in his content area as well as in pedagogy.  The teacher should also be a friend and a social worker to his students.  Students come into our schools with problems that must be dealt with before any learning can occur, and it is the responsibility of the teacher to get the students the help they need.  Perhaps one of the most important roles of the teacher is to provide an open, relaxed atmosphere in which students can learn.  The classroom should act as a sanctuary where students can explore new ideas and concepts without fear of embarrassment, rejection, or criticism.  This atmosphere will generate an increase in student self esteem and motivation, and will lead to greater learning.

The teacher has the sole responsibility of deciding how he will teach the curriculum.  Discovery learning should be the most dominant teaching strategy used.  Students should be presented with problems and situations in which they can develop understanding and knowledge.  The teacher acts as a guide to ensure students are focused and attaining the objective for each lesson.  Cooperative learning should also be a part of the discovery learning, which will encourage peer collaboration and help to foster a sense of community in the classroom.  This strategy demands that students are active participants in their education, and their participation in these first hand experiences will lead to learning that will last a lifetime.

The students must be active learners in the classroom.  Active learners are students who call upon their schema to deal with new situations.  They are metacognitively aware of what they are learning and are able to bridge any gaps in understanding by using strategies to aid in comprehension.  Unfortunately, these are not skills that come naturally to all students, so they must be learned through teacher instruction and collaboration with one’s peers.  This illustrates another reason why an open, relaxed classroom environment is so important to learning.

The classroom environment should be free and unfettered to allow for maximum learning.  However, some basic rules and guidelines must be established to assure some semblance of order and respect in the community of learners.  These rules should be firmly established by the teacher and students and should focus on the ideal of respect for oneself and others.  Enforcement of these rules by the teacher and by the students is imperative and violators should be punished according to the agreed upon consequences.

The students should be the focus of education.  Teacher roles, teaching strategies, and classroom management should all center around what is best for student learning and achievement.  It is my belief that the more comfortable a student is, the more willing and able he will be to learn.  It is the responsibility of the teacher to create an environment where students can feel comfortable and where activities guide student learning.  My current views in all areas of education reflect this belief, and with more teaching experience I hope to strengthen and reinforce my philosophy of education.
 

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