Running head: PHILOSOPHY 1

Philosophy of Education
The University of Memphis
Renee K. Lewis
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My philosophy of education aligns in many ways with that of the philosophy of
Critical Thinking. It is incredibly easy to memorize facts, but for a student to take those
facts and apply them in new and different ways is an invaluable life skill that will be a
driving force to succeed in life. I believe we should be teaching these critical thinking life
skills in the classroom for a variety of reasons. I want to point out that I often use the
term child or student singularly because each one of the students in the classroom has
specific needs, wants, desires, and dreams. The goal of education is to meet each childs
personal and academic needs and desires in a consistent and developmentally appropriate
way. Through familial relationships, teacher bonds, safe and healthy environments, and
the use of critical thinking skills and activities in the classroom, I believe the early
childhood students of today will become active and enthusiastic lifelong learners.
Many of the great educational philosophers touch on critical thinking in some
shape or form. Socrates proposed questioning as a critical thinking strategy, Dewey's
analysis of problem solving, and Giroux's emphasis on critical literacy are a few
examples (Noddings, 2006). I would argue that in todays current educational system
with our standardized testing and our mediocre evaluations that we are barely scratching
the surface of what our students are capable of. In turn, students are bored and perform
poorly on these tasks. Moreover, when we only ask children to memorize facts that is all
they will accomplish. In Blooms Taxonomy Factual Knowledge, or knowledge of
specific details, elements, and terminology is the lowest form of cognition (Anderson and
Krathwohl, 2001). For children to reach the highest level of cognition, Metacognitive
Knowledge, they must engage in strategic endeavors. To take their thinking to a higher
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level our students must know about themselves and about the people around them. They
must use that information and apply it in appropriate and contextual ways (Anderson, et
al., 2001). Challenging students in this way not only encourages children to be better
learners, but it shows us how to be better educators. When you implement the use of
higher order thinking in your classroom you are given the rare gift of a window into the
mind of a student.
Some people might argue that reaching Metacognitive Knowledge in an early
childhood classroom is unnecessary, or even impossible. While all classrooms must
include basics of academia reading, writing, math, science, and social studies, critical
thinking skills are a wonderful tool for assessment in an early childhood setting. As
teachers we must seize the opportunity to use critical thinking in our classrooms. The
answers and products students are able to produce and synthesize often opens up the
possibilities for increased and more individualized differentiation in the classroom.
Differentiation is one of the most important aspects of any learning environment, but I
believe it is crucial in an early childhood setting. During the early years and grades is
primarily when many learning differences and disabilities are recognized and diagnosed.
Activities centered on critical thinking help all students become active participants in
their own learning and teachers are more clearly able to see the interests and needs of the
children. An example of a critical thinking activity in the classroom is known as Color,
Symbol, Image, which is a thinking routine created by the Harvard College of Education
(Ritchhart, Church, Morrison, 2011). A thinking routine is a simple activity that helps
represent understanding, truth and evidence, and fairness and moral reasoning through
creativity, self-management, and decision making (Ritchhart, et al., 2011). In an early
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childhood setting this is best done in small groups and the children choose a color that
best represents the idea or lesson. This is a very abstract thought process for a young
child, and sometimes we work on this idea for many months before adding on the next
step of symbol. Again, this is a very abstract concept, and you would be shocked at the
answers I receive from my five year-old kindergarten students. Once a student told me
that a house should be a symbol for the human heart because a house has rooms just like
heart (in reference to the hearts chambers)! Lastly the children draw an image, or picture
of whatever the topic might be to summarize the activity. The most important thing you
must remember when engaging your students in critical thinking activities is that you
must constantly be asking questions, Why? What makes you say that? How did you come
up with that answer? I would recommend documenting their answers. This is one of the
best assessments I have engaged in with my students. It is a way for students to
demonstrate their understanding and for educators to realize whether or not their teaching
has been effective. These, and many other critical thinking performance tasks are a child-
centered learning approach that helps educators consider childrens ideas, preferences,
and learning styles when creating future lessons (Morrison, 2012).
Blooms Taxonomy reminds us of another scale and that is Maslows Hierarchy
of Needs. While I do believe that encouraging critical thinking is the most effective way
to becoming truly aware of your students understanding, it is incredibly difficult to
successfully teach a hungry or a tired child. In Maslows Self Actualization Theory he
states that self fulfillment cannot be achieved until other basic needs are met (Morrison,
2012). It is imperative for us as teachers to recognize when our students are not getting
the essentials they need to make it through each day. Those children who miss breakfast,
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eat poor lunches or worse students whose only meals are those they receive at school
have a host of other concerns. Poor nutrition is a catalyst for fatigue and often times is
argued as the primary factor for the cycle of poverty in many families (Virgo, 2010).
Schools do their best on limited budgets to provide free and reduced price meals to
students; this is not always sufficient when students are hungry outside of designated
mealtimes. I uphold that food and water are fundamental needs, and nutrition is
something that is often not taught at home. One way I try to support these beliefs in my
classroom is that each students is given a refillable water bottle at the beginning of the
year that stays at school and part of the morning routine is to fill it up. It is accessible at
all times. There is also always a basket of fruit in the room at all times, and if you are
hungry you may ask for a snack. As the leader of the classroom I also drink out of a water
bottle and eat fruit out of the basket for my snack to practice what I preach. While this
is not a panacea for hunger or fatigue it is a small step that I hope can change the
classroom environment.
In the Self-Actualization Theory the most basic needs are food, water, and air but
Maslow continues on to say that people have many other needs, and these are incredibly
applicable to the classroom (Morrison, 2012). We must provide consistency and stability
for students in a safe learning environment, and we can do this by incorporating routines
into our day and posting developmentally appropriate schedules in the room so that
children can anticipate what will happen next. Also by integrating safety procedures,
various opportunities and materials that increase the awareness of safety rules in the
school, home, and community into the classroom and lessons we can ease any possible
anxiety they might have toward alarming situations such as fire drills or going to the
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dentist (NAEYC, 2014). Children will not feel safe in an environment with an adult they
do not trust, which is why it is vital to create a loving relationship with students. Each
relationship is different because each student has different needs. Some need to belong,
some seek affection through smiles and hugs, some crave frequent feedback, and some
require praise (Morrison, 2012). But they all have a desire to connect in some way. If you
can connect with your students then they are more likely to tell you when they are
hungry, tired, and hurt. They will also communicate with you when they are confused,
frustrated, and excited. Understanding this about a student is one of the best ways to
motivate them to succeed. I believe that the quickest way to creating a meaningful
relationship with each student is to get to know their families.
Getting to know a childs family, especially their primary caregiver, is the best
avenue in which to understand how to meet all of those childs needs. When you are able
to understand the life of that little boy or girl outside of the confines of your school day
you are able to gain perspective of the whole child. This way you can know if that child
is getting the basics, food and water, at home. Do they have allergies? How severe is the
allergy? What is the best way to contact the primary caregiver? When is the best time of
day? If mom and dad are divorced, would each parent like a copy of the students work?
Is English the language spoken at home? What are some words in your language that we
can incorporate into our classroom to make your child feel more comfortable? When you
create a solid relationship with the parents or caregivers it becomes much easier to meet
their needs because you understand the child in a new way and there is a deeper trust
between the teacher and the student. I know that Suzys parents are divorced, but they
both love her very much. I also know that Suzys mom doesnt get off work until 8:30 at
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night and Suzy often comes to school tired on mornings after she has stayed at her
mothers house because she is up past her bedtime. But I am fully aware that this is her
only time during the week with her mom. Accommodations and special activities can be
made for Suzy right when she gets to school so she has a little extra time to wake up.
Having a strong relationship with families is also an incredibly enriching aspect of being
a teacher. As a teacher you are often one of the first to know when mom is going to have
a new baby, and you get to share in the joy with them while you help your student
transition into becoming a sibling for the first, or second (or third!) time. That familial
relationship is also very helpful when you have to have difficult discussions with the
family about your student. They will trust you when you recommend testing for a
learning disability. Or when you call during the day because of a behavior disruption.
Having a partnership with families, establishing and maintaining regular, ongoing, two-
way communication is essential to gaining the trust of your students and, in turn, teaching
them in effective ways as individuals (NAEYC, 2014).
I would argue that every teacher would agree that having rich relationships with
students and their families and being in a safe and healthy environment is paramount. I
would also argue that every educator would be in favor of any method of teaching, in my
opinion critical thinking skills and activities, that would inspire children to demonstrate
their understanding and become more thoughtful participants in their own education. But
unfortunately not every teacher and educator is practicing these beliefs. What many in
this field fail to do is be intentional in all things, from the big to the seemingly small
(Copple & Bredekamp 2009). The curriculum and daily lesson plans often seem to be
monstrous choices, but it is how we thoughtfully and purposely tailor them so that we can
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create several learning experiences at one time for several different learning styles
(Copple et al., 2009). I believe that deliberate relationships with students and their
families and the thoughtful use of critical thinking skills will create lifelong learners
because intentional education is a basic human right that all people are entitled to receive
in a safe, nurturing, and challenging environment.
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References
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and
assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives. New York:
Longman.
Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp, eds. 2009. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early
Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. 3rd ed.
Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Morrison, G.S. (2012). Early Childhood Education Today. (12
th
ed.) New Jersey:
Merrill/Prentice-Hall
NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria & Guidance for
Assessment. (2014). National association for the education of young children
[Data file]. Retrieved from
http://www.naeyc.org/files/academy/file/AllCriteriaDocument.pdf
Noddings, N. (2006). Philosophy of Education, 2e. Boulder, CO. Westview Press.
Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making Thinking Visible: How to
Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Virgo, P. (2010). Development: Hunger Feeds More Hunger. Geopolitical
and Economic News and Analysis. Retrieved from
http://globalgeopolitics.net/wordpress/2010/01/22/development-hunger-feeds-
more-hunger/