Philosophy of Education

Philosophy of Education
Hannah Finch
Portfolio II

Philosophy of Education

My philosophy of education stems from my travels as a child, my schooling all the way
from kindergarten to college and my experiences in the classrooms from an adults perspective. I
believe that children deserve a well-rounded and open minded education. They should be taught
how to think critically so that they can analyze information that is shared with them. Students
should be given ideas and then be taught how to think about the information and then form their
own opinions based on their prior knowledge.
The majority of my beliefs about education still stem from my schooling in the North. In
New Hampshire, I went to a public school that was one of the top in the state and the nation.
According to Newsweeks top American high schools, my school, Oyster River High School was
ranked 110th on a list of the 500 top schools in the nation. Based on my experiences here at
Wesleyan and at the public schools in Bibb County, I believe I received a very high quality
education. I had small class sizes, hands on activities and teachers who truly cared about each,
individual student. I was also afforded many opportunities that I believe many students in the
country do not have. In elementary schools we tapped maple trees and would make our own
maple syrup on school property. In middle school we explored the Freedom Trail in Boston, and
hiked the entire New Hampshire seacoast. We also had the privilege if experiencing
environmental camp when I was in fifth grade. We spent the entire week with just our peers and
teachers exploring the beach, the marshes and the woods. In high school, I had opportunities to
visit Boston and explore the museums, we explored the woods and rivers surrounding our school,
performing different research in the area and we had chances to simply have class outdoors to
appreciate the environment around us. I believe all of these different educational opportunities
gave me a well-rounded experience which has allowed me to truly appreciate differing opinions
and experiences of the people around me.

Philosophy of Education

I also traveled a great deal when I was younger and this gave me an appreciation for
cultures other than my own. I was born in Saudi Arabia and I traveled often to surrounding
counties such as Egypt, Cyprus and Bahrain. I also found myself in England often because that is
where my mother is from and we still had family there. Venturing to these countries gave me a
greater understanding of other cultures and traditions. This would be very helpful as a classroom
teacher because it will allow me to understand my students better and to bring greater cultural
perspectives to my class.
All of these experiences have led me to believe in the postmodernist theory of education.
An examination by Webb, Metha and Jordan (2010) shows that the purpose of schooling in the
postmodernist philosophy is to prepare students for critical citizenship and critical inquiry
(p.88). As in my original philosophy, I still believe this theory is most effective because of the
fact that it takes into account students different learning styles and it enables a relationship of
mutual respect between the teacher and the students. There needs to be a mutual respect because
teachers cannot demand respect from their students without displaying respect themselves. If
there is a mutual respect in the classroom, between teacher and students and between students
and their peers, then students will be more willing to take risks and voice their opinions. When
students respect one another, they will be more likely to encourage one another to think critically
and participate in classroom activities.
In my field experiences, I have seen classrooms where respect is present and classrooms
where there is a distinct lack of respect among teachers and students. In the schools where there
was an atmosphere of respect, students knew what was expected of them and they followed these
expectations. They also were more likely to participate in lessons and be engaged in their
education. In the classrooms where respect was lacking, students often interrupted one another

Philosophy of Education

and the teacher. Students bullied one another and often they did not want to participate for fear of
making mistakes and being heckled by their classmates. This is why mutual respect and open
communication should be a standard for all classrooms. According to Nesrin Kale (2001)
Knowledge will not be a set of propositions, it will be a means of how to live to listen
thus how to learn. Shortly, knowledge will be means of interpreting the reality and ones
achieving his/her own rights. In such kind of an education, a group interaction enabling
individual originality, diversity and imagination; a continuous dialogue aiming to reach
targets by using means will be the base of education. (p.158).
This shows that students should be able to communicate with one another and share different
experiences in order to gain a well-rounded and deep education which inspires critical thinking.
In my previous philosophy, I discussed standardized testing and how it can harm students
because it can negatively affect their self-efficacy based on their results. I still believe that
standardized tests should not be the only and final assessment, but I do not believe they are
completely bad as I did previously. I believe standardized tests are very good for comparing
students within the school and comparing students to national averages. These tests are necessary
to determine how well students are doing in comparison to the rest of the nation. However,
standardized tests need to be used in moderation and alongside more authentic assessments.
When used this way, there is a better chance of seeing student progress and of students
developing a better self-efficacy because they are not judged solely on the standardized tests.
I believe my opinions on standardized testing stem from the constructivist theory.
According to Virginia Richardson (1997), the constructivist theory
is a learning or meaning-making theory. It suggests that individuals create their own
new understandings, based upon the interaction of what they already know and believe,

Philosophy of Education

and the phenomena or ideas with which they come into contact. Constructivism is a
descriptive theory of learning (this is the way people learn or develop); it is not a
prescriptive theory of learning (this is the way people should learn). (p. 3)
Students should be taught in a way that allows them to create their own meaning and form their
own thoughts and beliefs about a topic. As Paulo Freire stated in his banking theory of education,
I dont want students to simply be empty receptacles to be filled with information, only to empty
the information out once the test is over. I want students to be active participants in their
education.
There are some important qualities which a teacher needs to inspire active learning in
their classroom. Some of these qualities include patience, a passion for teaching and
approachability. Teachers need patience in order to work with the many different students who
will pass through their classrooms. It will allow them to try new ideas that could be beneficial for
the students, especially if students do not understand content the first time. Patience allows
teachers to keep trying until they find something that works for their students.
A passion for teaching will keep teachers motivated throughout their careers, whether it
is their first or twenty-first year teaching. A passion for teaching will keep teachers running as
Ron Clark would say. They will not allow themselves to burn out because they will be
researching new methods and philosophies to give their students the best education possible.
These teachers who are runners will also do all the research necessary and more to go along
with their lesson plans. Teachers must know what they are teaching backwards and forwards so
that the students get the highest quality of information and not the bare minimum needed to pass
standardized tests.

Philosophy of Education

Along with patience and passion, teachers must be approachable. If students are afraid to
ask questions or talk in the classroom, they will never learn anything, especially how to think for
themselves. If students are afraid to ask questions, the only things they are learning are what the
teacher tells them. There is no critical thinking involved and students become receptacles to be
filled with information (Freire, 1970). An approachable teacher means students are not afraid to
question what they are being taught or to ask questions about the information. These questions
can lead to deeper and more meaningful conversations among peers.
Good classroom management is another of the important traits that a teacher needs.
Someone could be fantastic at writing creative, in depth, engaging lesson plans and they could be
kind a patient but with poor classroom management, the class will never get to experience those
lesson plans to the fullest extent. I have experienced classrooms on both ends of the spectrum for
classroom management. In both classrooms, the teachers were kind and, I believe, had a passion
for teaching. However, one teacher had fabulous classroom management while the other teacher
had next to zero classroom management. In the classroom with good classroom management, the
students were engaged and always learning. Lessons could be in depth and hands on because the
students knew the rules and expectations for behavior. In the classroom with poor classroom
management, it was difficult to get anything done. Students constantly had to be redirected and
therefore it was difficult to keep students engaged and involved in the lesson. It was nearly
impossible to complete hands on lessons because students did not know the expectations for
behavior and were always talking out of turn, going off task or even falling asleep. This shows
that good classroom management is one of the most important aspects of a good teacher.
Overall, my philosophy has changed because I have gained more knowledge about
theories and strategies to use in the classroom. In my first philosophy paper, I saw a low socio-

Philosophy of Education

economic background as being a hindrance to students getting a good education. While I know it
still can make school a little more difficult, I now know more strategies to use which can give
students a better chance at success, no matter their background. I have also changed my beliefs
on what qualities make a good teacher. I no longer believe that a teacher necessarily has to be
strict and have control. Instead, a teacher needs to maintain the structure and expectations of the
classroom in order to keep the room running smoothly.
My philosophy stems from the constructivist view of students creating their own meaning
based on what they learn. As researched by Virginia Richardson (1997) constructivism suggests
that individuals create their own new understandings, based upon the interaction of what they
already know and believe, and the phenomena or ideas with which they come into contact (p.3).
I want students in my classroom thinking for themselves and taking ownership of their
education. I want to be able to share information with them and then have them run with it.
Overall, I want my students to leave the classroom each day, eager to return to continue
expanding their knowledge day after day.

Philosophy of Education

References

Freire, P. (1970). The banking concept of education. Educational foundations: An anthology of

critical readings, 99-111.

Kale, N. (2001). Post modernism and education. Turkish Journal of Police Studies, 3(1-2), 154160.

Palmer, M. (2014, November 8). ORHS named one of nations top high schools: In top 1% of
nearly 14.4g schools evaluated. Fosters Daily Democrat. Retrieved from
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20141108/GJNEWS_01/141109373/
0/SEARCH.

Richardson, V. (1997). Constructivist teaching and teacher education: Theory and practice. In
Richardson, V (Eds.). Constructivist teacher education: Building a world of new
understandings (3-14). London: The Falmer Press.

Webb, D.L., Metha,A., Forbis, K. (2010). Foundation s of american education. Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey: Merrill.

(2014). Americas Top Schools. Newsweek. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/highschools/americas-top-schools-2014