Analyzing Teaching Philosophy and Educating Students

Teaching Philosophy and Educating Students

Traditionally, the focus of education has been the primary "3Rs" -- writing, reading, and arithmetic. But with ever-growing technological innovation driving universal change, educators need to reconsider whether or not the skills taught in schools truly offer learners the best chance to enjoy success in life, at school, and in the workplace (Sledd, 2015).

From my personal experiences and approaches in the area of education, some things vital to me in the roles of student and teacher are:

Great teachers are kind to everyone around them- students, their parents, coworkers, etc. Kindness truly has a great impact on the school and classroom environment, with students feeling loved, welcomed, and cared for.

The profession of teaching is humanistic. Compassion represents the utmost sense of understanding, as well as showing other people that they are important. Compassionate teachers instill this quality in their pupils through their actions, and consequently, pupils will show increased receptiveness to their surrounding world.

1. The attribute -- empathy --is extremely important and every teacher must strive to instill this quality within themselves and their students. The ability to place oneself in others' shoes and view things from others' perspective has the potential to strongly impact one's actions and decisions.

1. Being optimistic is not easy. In the teaching profession, it is even more difficult if one constantly faces problems having very few solutions. But remaining optimistic under such difficult circumstances goes a long way in positively impacting not just students, but others around them as well. Optimism always appears to make situations better.

1. Great teachers forge bonds and friendships by bridging gaps, and establishing a community. They always endeavor to improve things for students both outside and inside of class. Community building is one thing great teachers strive to work for in classrooms, and this extends to the whole school and community.

1. Anyone who looks at great teachers wishes to model them, and become a better pupil, teacher, and ultimately, a better individual. Great teacher unearths hidden possibilities, treasures, and make magic happen (Alrubail, 2015).

Major Philosophies of Education

Educational philosophy constitutes an element that every educator, administrator, and school adapts themselves to, both intentionally and unintentionally. Philosophy in this area provides educators and students a basis for knowledge-building (Erkilic, 2008, p. 1).

Essentialism

This philosophy focuses on traditional education; core curriculum; teacher-focused learning; intellectual development; and appreciation of literary and artistic masterworks. Its main premises are that the basis of reality is our physical world; democratic societies require critical thinking ability, and civic values take precedence over individual values in a democratic society. The philosophy is generally regarded as one that is conservative and relates to society's ever-evolving social, technological and educational aspects. It highlights the significance of teachers as authoritative classroom figures, with the subject matter being the curriculum's heart (Erkilic, 2008, p. 3).

Perennialism

This educational philosophy is regarded as one that is most traditional, unbending, or orthodox, and heavily drawing on the classical definition of education. According to Perrenialists, individual development occurs through the most critical topics. As factual details are continuously changing, they can't be most critical. Thus, one must teach principles rather than facts. One important point is that, in spite of different environments, the nature of mankind is identical everywhere; therefore, everyone must receive the same education. Education is life's preparation, and not imitation (Erkilic, 2008, p. 2).

Progressivism

According to Progessivists, the focus of education must be the whole student, and not the teacher or subject matter. This philosophy stresses the idea that pupils must be made to test ideas through active experimentation. The process of learning is not passive, but active, and is grounded on learners' questions, which vary with their experiences in the world. An effective teacher will provide experiences for students to learn by practically doing things. Curricular matter comes from student questions and interests (Erkilic, 2008, p. 3).

Social Reconstructionism

This critical theory can be regarded as revolutionary in nature. Its chief feature is education's main purpose, which should be creating a novel social order capable of fulfilling basic cultural values and simultaneously harmonizing with underlying contemporary economic and social forces. Reconstructionist teachers concentrate on curricula that emphasize the social reform aspect as the goal of education. Further, they realize that education forms the means to prepare individuals for developing the novel social order (Erkilic, 2008, p. 4).

The Philosophy that Resonates with Me the Most

I believe the "progressivism" philosophy appeals most to me. This is because I feel students must be allowed to learn from personal experiences, as it affects their knowledge most profoundly. If instruction is based on student needs, developmental stage, and interests, they can easily grasp concepts (Labaree, 2005, p. 277). Through active learning, students can discover as well as learn. This must be done by giving students projects that enable expression of views and understanding. Through such activities, students can integrate different disciplines around themes that are socially relevant. This serves to promote the values of democratic equality, community, justice, cooperation, and tolerance.

On the whole, this educational philosophy teaches certain jargons such as 'child-focused instruction', 'understanding how one must learn' and 'discovery learning'. It makes students complete individuals, based on their classroom learning, which aids them in socializing better and becoming a model for others.

Annotated Bibliography

Alrubail, R. (2015, January 14). The heart of teaching: What it means to be a great teacher. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/heart-teaching-what-it-means-be-great-teacher

Alrubail's article discusses teaching requirements, apart from the experience and knowledge criteria. A student-teacher bond must exist, which can be made possible if the teacher is kind, compassionate, optimistic, inspiring, and empathic. The scholar has provided valuable advice to current and future teachers, in this essay.

Erkilic, T. A. (2008). Importance of educational philosophy in teacher training for educational sustainable development. Middle East Journal of Scientific Research, 3. Retrieved from http://idosi.org/mejsr/mejsr3(1)/1.pdf