Philosophy of Education

Purpose
An excellent educator welcomes the class with valuable information that can make an

impact on their students. Teaching is no easy task but education is a necessity to improve,

empower and expand knowledge for future generations. The purpose of education in the

United States is to mold students into well rounded members of society and it is an educator's

job to form intellectually advanced students who are ready to embrace real world situations.

Learning Environment

An educator should set up a classroom in a way that it is going to be most effective and

beneficial for the activities being taught in the class. "A potent teacher will skillfully and

gracefully create conditions and stage activities that inspire students to have a meaningful

encounter with a subject" (Intrator, 2003, 7). A welcoming classroom is one that inspires and

encourages students; is should be full of color, and student work. Students should feel

comfortable enough to speak up and explain what is on their minds in a class, and that can only

happen in a open classroom environment.

Social Justice

As a Social Reconstructionist, I believe that an important factor in life is to be empathic

and understanding of all different types of people. Social justice encourages just that, and digs

into important life lessons. When taught correctly, "students can engage in social action and

formulate ideas for concrete ways to into their lives, communities, and society as a whole"

(Hackman, 2005, p.3). This helps students gain a better understanding and knowledge of real

issues, instead of a sugar-coated view of the world. Although many of these topics are gloom,
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it is vital to take action for social change to give students hope and possibility for a better

tomorrow. Ideas questioning social justice in todays world is a great way to form real

connections. Encouraging students to come up with ways to improve the community is a way

their thoughts to be put into action. To witness a change is a positive way for students to grow

and gain confidence.

Curriculum

Students are typically more focused on performing well on tests and memorization, than

actually understanding information and that is the real problem. Less emphasis on tests and more

implementation of knowledge. Project based learning is described as something deeper than

conducting a project after students have been lectured about a topic, but it means making

discoveries and learning through the actual project (Larmer and Mergendoller, 2010, p. 2). A

hand-ons approach is a way that makes learning memorable and interesting for students. Inquiry

learning is another way for students to ask questions, make discoveries, and share the

information they had gathered. Therefore, if students are to learn about the Gold Rush instead of

reading or simply lecturing about it, the students are going to immerse themselves in the topic

and share their exciting discoveries with the class. It is always important to adapt to the class,

and throw ideas that arent working and expanding on

What makes a good teacher?

It is believed that, beginning teachers need to have a command of critical ideas and

skills, and equally important, the capacity to reflect on, evaluate, and learn from their teaching so

that it can continually improve (Bransford & Hammond, 2005,p. 3). Teachers must try to make

all of their students succeed in order to be effective. Educators help mold the youth, by being
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good role models and leading by example. An an exemplary leader must be receptive,

understanding, and caring in order to make an impact. A great teacher must have an organized

classroom, knowledge of subject matter, and engage with students in a helpful manner. Even

though many educators approach teaching differently, these skills are necessary to become a

successful leader.
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References

Bransford, J., Darling-Hammond, L. D., & LePage. (2005) Introduction. Preparing teachers for

a changing world: what teachers should learn and be able to do (p 1-39). San Francisco,

CA: Jossey-Bass.

Hackman, H. W. (2005). Five essential components for social justice education. Equity &

excellence in education.

Intrator, S. M. (2003). The Kids Were on Fire. HarperCollins Publisher.

Larmer, J., Mergendoller, J., R. (2010). The main course, not dessert: how are students reaching
21st century goals? With 21st century project based learning. Retrieved from
http://bie.org/object/document/main_course_not_dessert