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Philosophy of Education
Jenessa M. Phillips

College of Southern Nevada

Philosophy of Education

Teaching has always been a profession I was drawn towards. I love children and

especially love being able to help and care for them. I chose this profession because it would be

a great way to do something I love, as well as help me support myself. I have always loved the

movie Matilda, especially the character of Ms. Honey who was Matilda’s kind and loving school

teacher. Since then, I have always been interested in teaching, especially being able to help

children feel loved and needed - like Ms. Honey did. My elementary teachers also played a part

in my inspiration because they were always so kind and welcoming.

I am the oldest of six children, and throughout high school I have nannied for other

people as my job. The skills I have learned from both of these experiences - patience, kindness,

nurture, and love - will help me become a great teacher that students can look up to. For my

field observation I observed a kindergarten class, which is also the grade I was wanting to teach

as a teacher. As I was observing this class, I realized that kindergarten was not the grade for me.

As a nanny I have always loved kindergarten aged kids and thought that it would be the same in

a teaching environment. However, teaching has a very different atmosphere than nannying,

and I realized that the kindergarten grade was more rambunctious than I was expecting. From

this observation I have decided against kindergarten, but would still love to teach younger

grades. My observation also showed me how much work it is to be a teacher. The teacher has

to discipline all the students, care for them, teach them, and keep everything organized and

running smoothly.

As a teacher, the educational philosophy that I most identify with is the essentialism

philosophy. This philosophy details how students learn knowledge the teacher thinks is
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essential. The teacher provides the curriculum the students are supposed to learn and gives

them the knowledge to help them succeed in life. They do not focus on influencing or setting

social policies, instead they focus on keeping school an unbiased environment honed on

learning. The psychological orientation that most closely fits my beliefs is the humanistic

psychology. This psychology emphasizes personal freedom, choice, awareness, and personal

responsibility. It also focuses on the emotional needs of the students - making sure teachers are

forming relationships with their students so the students can feel comfortable with the

teachers and will go to them for help and guidance.

Some historical events that have set the stage for how I think about children and school

are the Massachusetts Act of 1647, when seminaries for female students opened, and when

schools stopped being segregated by race. The Massachusetts Act of 1647 required children to

go to state mandated schooling, and this followed a previous act given five years earlier that

required parents to teach their children how to read. This act showed how important schooling

is because after this act the government worked together to eventually bring public school to

all. When seminaries for female students opened, this was the first opportunity females had to

go to school. This event showed how important schooling is for all humanity, not just men. One

of the last historical events that affect how I think about children and school was when schools

stopped being segregated. This showed how all children are equal no matter their race. All of

these historical events lead to show how important school is, and that it should be given to

everyone equally.

As a teacher, I would implement some instructional strategies like cooperative learning,

technology management, and behavior management. Cooperative learning is a teaching

strategy that involves either the whole class, or small groups of the class. This strategy helps

students work together to solve problems. Some examples of this could be conducting scientific

experiments, acting out short plays, or solving puzzles. Another instructional strategy is

technology management. This approach offers learning through technology in the classroom.

This could be participating in a website on the computers, or recording something on class

iPads. The final strategy, behavior management, is the idea of creating an interesting way to

manage behavior. This could be creating an exciting chart with checkpoints for good behavior, it

could be a clip system to acknowledge bad behavior, or any other system a teacher wants to

create. I will use these strategies to help approach student learning no matter their race or

gender - these strategies, and others, will help to create an equal approach to every student’s

learning experience. For different students' needs I will make sure to pay attention and notice

when some may need more help. For struggling students I will let them know they can always

ask for help, and make sure they are understanding the material. I also think assessments are

very helpful in the classroom - especially at the beginning of the year. As a teacher with new

students I will not know what the children have learned or how well they remember it. It is

important to do assessments - either as paper tests, or one on one vocalized tests - to make

sure the student is on track and understanding the curriculum.

Some skills and characteristics that I will need to be a successful teacher are patience,

kindness, communication skills, listening skills, responsibility, passion, friendliness, organization

skills, and strong work ethic. Using all of these skills will help me to become a great teacher that

children will be able to look up to. In order to reach my goal of becoming a teacher I will need

to have a high school diploma, a bachelor's degree in education, complete a teacher’s prep
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program, fulfill student teaching requirements, pass all state exams, and finally, apply for a

teaching certificate. After all of these tasks are complete, I will be able to become a teacher and

help kids grow and see the potential in themselves.