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Philosophy of Education

Jacqueline Cornejo
LBS 400
Kristal Cheek
California State University. Dominguez Hills
October 6, 2015

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Future teachers across the nation could relate to my philosophy of education. Many
future teachers will find themselves sharing similar ideas and concepts in regards to education,
such as the goals and priorities every teacher should have. One goal is to have a clear and
organized vision of the purpose of education. Another important idea is for teachers to pay
special attention how learning environments play a crucial role when it comes to our students'
learning. Teachers should also display a strong commitment to social justice in their classrooms,
while having an organized successful curriculum. An organized curriculum is one of many
responsibilities and characteristics every teacher should have to embrace. Effective teachers will
find sharing similar responsibilities and characteristics among other teachers as well if they want
to become extraordinary teachers.
Every teacher wishes for all their students to become successful adults in society. But in
order to become successful adults, students must receive a valuable education. Education allows
for the development of citizenship, such as learning how to function as a citizen in society and
learning to integrate among society. schools assume the purpose of enabling young people to
participate fully in political, civic, and economic life in our society (Bransford, DarlingHamond, Lepage, 2005 p.10). For example, schools provide the necessary skills by teaching
children how to participate in the social world, such as the community they are living in by
providing them with mathematical and reading skills. Education also allows children to have
personal growth, such as self-improvement while helping them develop/discover their passions
in society. I recall my elementary years as I child, I came across a very inspiring teacher that
changed my life completely because she encouraged me to discover several passions within me.
This teacher taught me the importance of education by believing me in me and never giving up,
thanks to her I will eventually be able to contribute back into my community by changing the

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lives of my future students by teaching them to never give up in their dreams. Thanks to her I
discovered my passion for teaching and the dedication to never give up on anyone who is
struggling in school.
For a successful education, an organized learning environment is crucial for teachers and
students. Teachers should be able to create learning opportunities in their classrooms by having
students actively engaged. One way a teacher could have their students actively engaged is by
having students learn and participate in groups. Also, teachers should constantly be asking their
students for frequent feedback In order for learners to gain insight into their learning and their
understanding (Peterson & Wilson, 2006, p.6). It is crucial for teachers to ask their students for
feedback since it allows students to monitor their learning and it allows students to reflect on
their strategies and their current levels of understanding. Not all students might like this strategy,
some students might feel pressured when constantly being asked for frequent feedback, and this
was the case for me back in elementary school. But now that I look back, I am thankful my
elementary teachers used this strategy it allowed me to stay on top of my feet with the worry of
constantly being checked for understanding. On the long run this strategy worked perfectly fine
by allowing me to pay more attention.
Teachers should also have a commitment to social justice integrated within their
classrooms. Teachers need to make sure every child in their classroom is given an equal access to
learning by viewing and treating every student equally and not placing labels upon their students.
Viewing students equally is beneficial because it will set the example among other students to
treat their classmates equally even if they come from different ethnic cultural backgrounds.
Understanding these cultural differences, many scholars argue, would help teachers draw on
students experiences within their classrooms, enabling teachers to make more explicit and

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meaningful connections to students communities (Peterson & Wilson, 2006, p.7). As a student,
it is important to feel equal among your other peers, sometimes peers might not view you equal
to them because you speak a different language or because you look different from everyone
else. In fourth grade I had to transfer schools and I recall being treated different by some students
because I did not speak much English, I felt very uncomfortable by these students. This behavior
within them changed rapidly as soon as my fourth grade teacher noticed, she made sure to imply
an environment where I was treated equally among my peers by teaching us a lesson of respect.
The curriculum should be an essential tool in every classroom. Teachers need to be
familiar with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in order to successfully teach. The
Common Core State Standards focus on English, language arts, and math, which are essential to
a student's learning. At the moment, the CCSS is only focusing on those subjects, but that does
not mean that future teachers like me are not allowed to emphasize other subjects with equal
importance such as history, science, art, and physical education. I would advise teachers to
integrate two subjects that could benefit into a great learning experience under one learning
session. For example, the subjects history and art could be combined in one lesson plan where
students learn history and art since art could be dated to important historical events, such as
history being the topic of many important art works. Integrating subjects could be very beneficial
and provide teachers with a little extra time to use in other subjects. But we as future teachers
should also focus on 21st Century skills because these skills are necessary for students to master
in order for them to experience school and life success in an increasingly digital and connected
age; includes digital literacy, traditional literacy, content knowledge, media literacy, and
learning/innovation skills (Learning Theories, 2014, para. 1). In order for students to benefit
from 21st century skills, students should be provided with different forms of literature such as

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digital, traditional, and media literacy within different activities/subjects so students become well
familiarized with different types of literacy. As a teacher we are responsible for familiarizing
students with different types of media, teachers can have students focus on digital literacy for
one week for all subjects, and the following week students can focus on traditional literacy while
working in class and outside of class.
Effective teachers will share similar characteristics from the way they teach to the way
they create their lesson plans. The majority of effective teachers are well organized and always
plan ahead. By planning ahead teachers are always ready, and normally tend to have a backup
lesson plan just in case the first lesson plan goes wrong. Effective teachers are positive,
dedicated, motivated, and they are always keeping in mind the needs of their students. Also, the
majority of effective teachers should always be able to think outside the box, they should have
great communication skills among their peers and students. Last but not least an effective teacher
should always challenge their students, even if it creates a little bit of confusion because this
will encourage students to take upon a challenge and find answers for themselves as they seek
their own paths into clarity (Chitwood, p. 218).
Every teacher wishes all their students to become successful adults by providing students
with knowledge and the necessary skills to succeed in society. Teachers should never stop
learning; they should always be on the lookout for creating learning opportunities. As a future
teacher, I am always in search of creative and fun ideas to have on hand for when I become a
teacher. I basically have a scrapbook with newspaper articles that have changed history in our
nation, or recent scientific discoveries, that one day I will be able to incorporate in my lesson
plans.

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Works Cited
Darling-Hammond, L., & Bransford, J.(Eds). (2005). Preparing teachers for a changing
world: What teachers should learn and be able to do. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Mauk, J., & Metz, J. (2011). Arguing Value. In Inventing Arguments (3rd ed., pp. 218129). Boston, MA: Monica Eckman.

Peterson, P.L., Wilson, S.M. (2006). Theories of Learning and Teaching What Do They
Mean for Educators? Washington, DC: National Education Association.
21st Century Skills (P21 and others) | Learning Theories. (2014, August 12). Retrieved
October 6, 2015.