Philosophy of Education
The early years of a child's life are crucial developmentally. I believe learning is
interwoven through all developmental domains; it is happening not only in the classroom but
also outside of the classroom. These include physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and
communication. Therefore, my program's goal is to make this ongoing learning experience safe,
positive, fun, and nurturing for the whole child. I strive to guide them into the next stage of
development with confidence in themselves and an excitement for continued learning.
The purpose of education is to have a stimulating educational environment where the
students can grow mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. I strive to create this type of
atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. I will provide a safe and caring
environment where students are invited to share their ideas, be creative, and take risks. Schools
are for educating future generations, but they are also for those future generations to form
relationships, create a caring community, and learn social emotional skills. Social emotional
skills can help students set goals for themselves and build positive relationships with peers. This
exercise helps these students develop self-awareness and emotional management skills. It also
helps teachers recognize which students are having a tough day and where they might need help.
The curriculum should contain subjects like math, English, science, and history. It should also
contain courses that can help students with life skills or everyday challenges that students will
face in their everyday lives. Teaching life skills supports students' personal growth, by providing
knowledge, skills and social capital. Life skills can and should be actively taught to children all
throughout their time in school. This includes noticing the positive and fostering kindness.
Teachers should be someone that a student can go to for help, whether that be inside or
outside of school. They should be encouraging, caring, and kind. A good teacher should treat all
students with compassion and respect. You not only teach the children, but you also have to learn
from them. In order to be a successful teacher, the instructor should meet the needs of the
students and not only the needs of the curriculum. Students learn best in a comfortable
environment when they can relate and understand the material and when they feel comfortable
asking questions. Learning occurs best when the development of positive attitudes and
perceptions is apparent in every learning task. In this type of atmosphere, students learn to think
positively about themselves, their peers, and the material they are learning.
My philosophy of education relates to John Dewey and his approach to learning. John
Dewey is largely known for his emphasis on experiential learning, social learning, and a basic
Constructivist approach to pedagogy. He also advocated for consistent support for the idea of
self-knowledge, inquiry-based learning, and even self-directed learning. (Field, R. Internet
encyclopedia of philosophy. https://iep.utm.edu/dewey/.) He argued that curriculum should be
relevant to students' lives. He saw learning by doing and the development of practical life skills
as crucial to children's education. Learning by doing is a hands-on approach to learning, meaning
students must interact with their environment in order to adapt and learn. Children learning by
doing is strongly encouraged in my classroom. In addition, having interactive learning and
making sure students learn practical life skills is key in my philosophy. It is important to include
interactive learning; students learn best when they can relate to the material. Interactive learning
also enables students to become more engaged and retain more material. With or without a form
of technology, interactive learning helps students strengthen problem-solving and critical
thinking skills. Some of the ways I will implement learning by doing in my classroom are using
tangible items in activities, educational games like board games and flash cards, science
activities outside, scavenger hunts, and sensory tables.
My education philosophy is based on what I know and have experienced at this point as
an educator and what I strive to implement in my classroom. I strive to implement learning by
doing, and supporting each student's developmental domains in my classroom. I am excited to
continue to learn and experience new ways to implement my philosophy into my classroom.
