Education Philosophy Reflection

The first answer that has always come to mind when asked why I chose teaching is ‘to positively impact the lives of as many people as I possibly can.’ I believe that we all have roles to play in seeking to positively influence the society in which we live in. This is a personal objective I would desire to actively pursue in my teaching role. Thanks to the close relationships educators forge with learners in the course of instruction, educators occupy a strategic position as far as influencing the academic achievements of students as well as their behaviors and outlook about life is concerned. It is for this reason that I am convinced that teaching offers me a perfect platform to advance my agenda of ‘positively impacting the lives of as many people as I possibly can.’ As a matter of fact, my educational philosophy rating and supervisory belief are both reflective of this very agenda.
While my educational philosophy rating was experimentalism, my supervisory belief was collaborative. With regard to my educational philosophy, the focus ought to be on teaching students how to think, as opposed to what to think. I feel that I reinforce knowledge in a more significant way via experimentation. It is for this reason that I am convinced that classroom management ought to be adapted to be constructivist. The teaching methods I adopt are, therefore, tilted towards experimenting and the further advancement of hands-on approaches to solving problems. It is important to note that to survive in today’s increasingly competitive world, students ought to be equipped with much more than arithmetic, reading, and writing skills. As much as these are important in a professional setting, so are other skills and abilities including, but not limited to, problem solving skills, ability to relate well with others, ability to spot and embrace change, etc. I am of the opinion that if I can equip students with the appropriate problem solving methodologies and the skills that they require to be successful in whatever it is that they pursue later on in life, I will have succeeded in seeking to bring positive and meaningful change in their lives.
As I have pointed out elsewhere in this reflection, my supervisory belief was collaborative. This, in essence, happens to be my preferred advisory approach. I hold the opinion that cooperative partnerships ought to be forged between principals and administrators. Towards this end, instead of being largely autocratic and heavy-handed, administrators ought to create an enabling environment whereby teachers are permitted and encouraged to further enhance their competencies and evolve. I feel that in such a setting, the emphasis in this case should be on both teamwork and collaboration. This, in my opinion, remains one of the most creative and effective ways of promoting learning as it effectively empowers teachers to direct the learning process. Given my overall and underlying teaching goal, i.e. to positively impact the lives of as many people as I possibly can, I feel that my supervisory belief comes naturally and is most fitting in this case.
In the final analysis, I am convinced that my personal inclinations on learning and education are aligned with my education philosophy. If I can equip students with the skills that they require to be successful in whatever it is that they pursue later on in life (i.e. hands-on problem solving skills), I will have succeeded in seeking to bring about positive, meaningful, and beneficial change in their lives. This is something that would be even more pronounced in a context that permits and encourages collaboration between administrators and teachers.