My Educational Philosophy

Jeff Perry

I believe that all kids should have the chance to be educated and that they do by
taking in information from the world around them and constructing their own
understanding of it within themselves. I believe it is a teachers duty to help guide kids to
their own understanding and that they should do so in a way that strengthens personal
growth and development. Teachers help kids become the best people that they can be.
The educational philosophy that best suits my beliefs is progressivism.
Progressivism focuses on real-world problem solving and decision making. I think that
kids need to learn how the world works at a young age. They need to be put in
situations where they make their own decisions that have consequences so they can
learn from their actions.
I believe that when they do make their own decisions they construct their own
understanding of it. Our textbook defines this as Constructivism. Kids tend to form
reasons for why things exist the way they are on their own. However, I do not believe
that it is solely up to the child to determine how well something is learned, it is up to the
teacher to deliver the information well enough and for the student to interpret it and
define it for themselves.
All in all, I think its a teachers job to guide a child the best they can so they can
become the person they want to be. Learning should consist of problem solving and
decision making that ultimately leads to the student growing up to be the best individual
that they can be so they can tackle adult life fully motivated and with a much more
complete understanding of how the world works.