My Philosophy of Education My philosophy of education was not formed over years and years of profound, philosophical reflection but rather while sipping coffee, sitting in a rocking chair, and mulling over books as I watched the summer sun set behind the Blue Ridge Mountains. From Socrates to Joan Wink, the past four months have been spent vigilantly examining and growing from the philosophies of others. The tables have finally turned, and now without further adieu, it is my turn to share my personal philosophy of education.
Throughout the course of our lives, we ever-undergo a crucial aspect to the human existence – metamorphosis. From the moment we take our first breath to our last dying wish, we are constantly changing, growing, adapting, …show more content…
An educator must juggle between and co-exist as an explorer, architect, planner, entertainer, purveyor of knowledge, philosopher, behavior analyst, nurturer, and counselor. An educator is not simply a teacher in a school system but also any individual dedicated to fostering character and instilling intellectual, behavioral, and social maturity in students because as Joan Wink (2011) states “[they] are the future, and the future matters.” Perhaps the most important aspect an educator is the notion of being a co-learner, a concept summed up by bell hooks (2010) when she states, “…our role is take our students on [an] adventure of critical thinking. Learning and talking together, we break with the notion that our experience of gaining knowledge is private, individualistic, and competitive” (p. 43). As an educator, I need to be cognizant of the fact that I have just as much to learn from my student as they have to learn from …show more content…
To have the calling of an educator placed on one’s life is not an easy one nor is it one to be taken lightly. In choosing to become an educator, I have made a commitment to operate in love despite my feelings, to be courageous and selfless, to care about others, to rise to the challenge of teaching in the 21st century, to foster intellect, character, and critical thinking, and to be the best academic, personal, and ethical role model I can possibly be. Despite the uncertainty of not knowing what each new student or school day will yield, I could not imagine a greater calling than this. I see my students as puzzles, ones where some of the pieces’ edges are jagged and rough and therefore unable to fit together cohesively, and my job is to help smooth down those edges in effort to make the best possible puzzle I
Throughout the course of our lives, we ever-undergo a crucial aspect to the human existence – metamorphosis. From the moment we take our first breath to our last dying wish, we are constantly changing, growing, adapting, …show more content…
An educator must juggle between and co-exist as an explorer, architect, planner, entertainer, purveyor of knowledge, philosopher, behavior analyst, nurturer, and counselor. An educator is not simply a teacher in a school system but also any individual dedicated to fostering character and instilling intellectual, behavioral, and social maturity in students because as Joan Wink (2011) states “[they] are the future, and the future matters.” Perhaps the most important aspect an educator is the notion of being a co-learner, a concept summed up by bell hooks (2010) when she states, “…our role is take our students on [an] adventure of critical thinking. Learning and talking together, we break with the notion that our experience of gaining knowledge is private, individualistic, and competitive” (p. 43). As an educator, I need to be cognizant of the fact that I have just as much to learn from my student as they have to learn from …show more content…
To have the calling of an educator placed on one’s life is not an easy one nor is it one to be taken lightly. In choosing to become an educator, I have made a commitment to operate in love despite my feelings, to be courageous and selfless, to care about others, to rise to the challenge of teaching in the 21st century, to foster intellect, character, and critical thinking, and to be the best academic, personal, and ethical role model I can possibly be. Despite the uncertainty of not knowing what each new student or school day will yield, I could not imagine a greater calling than this. I see my students as puzzles, ones where some of the pieces’ edges are jagged and rough and therefore unable to fit together cohesively, and my job is to help smooth down those edges in effort to make the best possible puzzle I