Barrow, R. & Woods, R. (2006). Chapter 3, The concept of education, in Barrow, R.

&

Woods, R. An Introduction to Philosophy of Education, pp. 26-37

The Concept of Education by Barrow, R. and Woods, R. focuses on what the terms
education, educate, and educated signify. The author raises the different definitions that
different people have about education such as R. S. Peters and John Holt. The author compares
the definitions that he has presented and points out the differences between them. The two
definitions point out one common concept and that is the fact that education is a process in which
students go through. The author also writes about the aim that education has and it is to produce
people that are educated. The author proceeds to explain what exactly an educated person is by
listing the requirements: the body of knowledge and understanding of associated principles
requirement, the transformation criterion, the caring or commitment criterion, and the
cognitive perspective criterion.

This reading has caused me to better understand the meaning of the words education,
educate, as well as educated. This reading oriented me in my understanding of these words as
well as how these words are all interconnected with each other. This text has given me a sense of
what an educated person is and what the aim of education is and therefore, these reasons are
what make this reading effective.

Freire, P. (1999). Chapter 3, Teaching is not just transferring knowledge, in Freire, P.

Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage, pp. 49-84

Teaching is not just transferring knowledge really expresses the fact that teaching is
more than a simple career where an individual is there to just present some facts; it is more than
that. The author underlines the important fact that human beings are unfinished and that life
continues. In order to live, one must understand that life goes on and it does not finish. The
author underlines the importance of being able to be conscious of the unfinishedness that we
possess. Being able to know that we are unfinished causes people to want to move forward as
well as want to make ethical decisions in order to live an ethical life. One of the ways that can
help an individual achieve that is by being educated. Also, to be aware of our incompleteness
causes us to be open to education because education is ongoing since people learn new things
everyday. The author also underlines the importance of common sense and curiosity, joy and
hope, as well as change being possible in life.

Freire really offers a very inspiring insight on teaching and education because he
effectively explains the notion of unfinishedness and how it is important to be open to education
as it highly benefits students.
Greene, M. (2003). Teaching as a possibility: A light in dark times, in The Jossey-Bass

Education Series, The Jossey-Bass Reader on teaching, pp. 3-25 & 63-90.

The main message of Teaching as a possibility: A light in dark times is that during
negative periods of a students life, there is always a light of hope, and in a students life, that is
usually a teacher. Teachers should be able to make students practice the notion of imagination
through the arts (to see things as they are not normally seen), storytelling (to explore), as well as
dialogue (discussion). This text really sheds light on how students should turn to imagination in
order to regain a will to push forward, and this is possible with the help of a teacher who
introduces imagination.

This reading is effective for the development of my teaching philosophy because to be

able to give hope to people means that you inspire them in some way and I would like to be able
to achieve that in my future career.

Noddings, N. (1984). A section of Chapter 8, The one-caring as teacher, in Noddings, N.

Caring: A feminine

The one-caring as teacher sheds light on the role that a teacher should play in the aspect
of caring. The author also underlines the role that a student plays. The author underlines the type
of care that should be projected onto the students by the teachers and how the students really
matter. This is thoroughly expressed when the author explains how the importance of the student
surpasses the subject matter of the classroom. Also, the author expresses the importance of how
teachers should model care towards their students in order for them to be able to properly project
care themselves. Another point that the author stresses is the fact that teacher commitment to the
student is mandatory. Mainly, the author expresses the importance in how the teacher shows the
students how the world is and how the student takes this information. To be able to help students
express care, the teacher should express this through nurturing the ethics of the students as well
as be a model. Overall, this reading aims to help the reader to better understand the role of a
teacher and how a teacher should pass on their care.

Noddings text really aided me in understanding the notion of caring in the sense of being
an educator and how the feelings of a student really matter. Noddings ideas of teaching really
resonated with my own because I am a very caring individual and I was able to further
understand how I should project my own care towards my future students. Also, I was able to
understand what role I should take as a teacher with the notion of care.
Palmer, P. (2003). Chapter 1,The heart of a teacher: Identity and integrity in teaching, in

The Jossey-Bass Education Series, The Jossey-Bass Reader on teaching, pp. 3-25.

The Heart of a Teacher: Identity and Integrity in Teaching aims to underline the
importance of including the self while teaching. The author, Parker Palmer, really focuses on
identity, integrity, the heart, being able to connect, and the self and expands on these concepts
through his text. The author also points out that in order to be a good teacher, one must not rely
merely on the technique they use but rather on the amount of connectedness they have with their
students, which stems from their identity and integrity. He explains through his text how
important it is to be able to connect with students as well as with the subject that teachers teach.
Without such a connection, a teacher would not be as effective. Overall, Palmer focuses on a
teachers authenticity.

Palmers text was very effective in opening my eyes about who I wanted to be as a
teacher. I found myself agreeing with many of the things he said and that it is indeed important to
have authenticity to be present in the classroom during the teaching process. This text has greatly
contributed to writing my teaching philosophy because it has enabled me to know how I want to
teach; by building a strong connection with my students as well as the subject that I will teach in
order to be a good and effective teacher.