EDU 202

Peter Lewis

Philosophy of Education Paper

Fall 2020
 My Philosophy of Teaching

The purpose of education and school is, fundamentally, an act of liberation. Its goal is to

instruct the student to think for themselves. It sets them free from absolute dependence on others

by granting them freedom of movement and thought. Through this freedom, the student becomes

an agent of change in their community. It enables them to become a transformative force in

society and allows them to flourish freely in the world for their benefit and their community.

Furthermore, God created the world and granted dominion of it to us that we might cultivate it

and act as stewards over it. As such, education is a means whereby we can learn about God’s

world and see how its intricacy and beauty point towards our omnipotent Creator. To achieve

this goal of delighting in God’s creation, I will lay out what I believe about education and school

through my beliefs on the role of students, teachers, curriculum, and assessment.

Students and teachers play a pivotal role in the school. Students are without complete

knowledge of how and why the world works. They are, therefore, the reason for school in the

first place. Their role is to learn and soak up as much as they can, formulate their ideas, be

creative, and inspire. If properly taught, they should be able to find joy in learning and delight in

understanding. As such, it is the teachers’ role to facilitate this. The teacher, to a degree, shares

the role of the student because they are limited in their knowledge and continue to learn and the

world. Everyone associated with the school is, therefore, a student and will continue as such.

Teachers are in schools to facilitate the students learning. Their role is that of a guide.

They are there to show the students the way while helping them to avoid pitfalls. Teachers are to

be the champion of the student, aiding and guiding them. They should seek the independence of

the students’ thoughts and actions. To achieve this, they must work in close contact with the

parents. Moreover, teachers ought to provide stimulating ideas to the students that will foster
their thirst for learning. Students sometimes lack the self-control to sit through a class. They

would much rather be doing something else. They often fail to see how some musty old topic,

such as math or history, apply to their lives (this gives rise to the age-old comment “Why do I

have to learn this, I’m never going to use it”). To overcome this inevitable obstacle, it is the

teacher’s mission to provide an opportunity for students to engage with the material in a way that

best suits them and to provide opportunities for them to see how math applies to their lives. For

example, Sarah does not believe that algebra has any bearing on her life. So, she stops paying

attention in class. It is the role of the teacher to show Sarah how algebra can be used. It’s their

job to help Sarah see that algebra is very helpful with problem-solving, even if the problem

doesn’t involve numbers. The teacher’s role is, consequently, to guide students in their learning,

to facilitate a joy of learning, to tailor the classroom to their advantage, and to show them how

and what they are learning is, indeed, vital.

My mental model for teaching the classroom is built on two tiers. The first and primary

method of teaching is Direct Instructional Lecture. This is used to convey the major ideas with

which the students have had no prior experience. Tier one serves as an introductory method. The

second tier of the method would feature heavy student engagement. The students would

participate in an exploratory manner where they use their thought processes and scaffolding that

they have developed in the classroom. The purpose of this model is to provide students who

learn differently from one another to have more options or pathways through which they can

learn in a way that best suits their capabilities. For example, if I was teaching algebra, I would

begin with a lecture on how exponents. Later, I would switch to the second-tier method whereby

the students would be presented with a problem and, through working in small groups they

would have to provide a solution to the problem using what they have learned in the previous
weeks. Differentiation is very important. By only teaching in one manner, the education system

will only serve to benefit a few students who work best under that model. My mental model,

therefore, sets the foundation for a semi-differentiated model of teaching which seeks to provide

consistency as well as alternatives.

Not only does the method of teaching matter, the classroom environment and curriculum

are also critical to the success of education as a whole. My model of the classroom and goal of

education dictates that the classroom environment involve the student and encourage them to

engage with their peers and course content. The classroom should be a place that is

simultaneously supportive and challenging. It should challenge them to formulate ideas while

also providing a safe place to sound ideas and thoughts. In short, the classroom must be flexible.

Chairs and desks should be movable in such a way as to facilitate group activity and lectures.

This will allow the classroom to adapt to an environment where the students will be the most

successful. In support of this environment, the class curriculum should benefit the student. It

should not be driven by what is on a test, but instead, focus on what is important. By teaching

what is important rather than what is necessary, control of the classroom is maintained, and the

students can begin to understand why and what they are learning. Through this, they will be able

to foster a desire to dive into their studies and apply themselves wholeheartedly.

Curriculum and assessment provide two necessary primary functions and a secondary

function. The first function of assessment is to evaluate what the student has learned and aid

them in the retention of what they have learned by giving them a reason for long-term study. As

such, the exams should not feature “gotcha” problems. For example, I would not ask questions

that were barely glossed over, but rather questions that are central to understanding the material.

Exams and homework will fit into the differentiated model. Not all problems will be formatted in
the same way to provide students with formats that will appeal to their skill set. The second

function of assessment is to help the teacher improve their skills as an educator by showing them

which areas they should work on improving. The secondary function of assessment is

accountability and statistical record keeping. These aspects are indeed important and facilitate

the improvement of education as a whole. However, given the purpose of school, it should not be

the primary function of assessment. Furthermore, the curriculum of the course should not be

guided by what is on the test, rather, the test ought to flow out of the course content. To this end,

assessment and curriculum serve as tools whereby learning and long-term retention can be

facilitated and preserved.

In conclusion, my philosophy of teaching is that students play the central role in school

and, as such, everything is directed towards their success in its endeavors. Teachers are to be the

champion and guides of students in their studies. My mental model for the functions and

differentiation of the classroom lies on two tiers. The first is the lecture, which provides a

foundation of the topic. The second is discussion and group work, wherein students work

together to think for themselves and work as a team. The classroom environment and curriculum

should encourage students to engage with their peers and provide the course content that shows

how what they are learning matters. Assessment is a tool that facilitates long-term student

retention and aids the teacher in developing their method of teaching. Finally, the focus of

education is to provide a means whereby the student can be free to think and act for themselves.

Education should be for the express purpose of not only raising citizens of whom their parents,

communities, and nation can be proud but also citizens who are not afraid to be the champion of

social change where change is needed, champions of liberty and justice to the glory of God.