Philosophy 1

Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Essay # 4 – Philosophy of Education

Márcio Padilha

College of Southern Idaho

EDUC 201 – Hurley

Fall/2006
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Philosophy of Education

Having experienced the on-the-job reality as a guest teacher and as a paraeducator for an

extended period of time, I realize the societal importance of education and consequently

recognize that educators have a pivotal role for the development and progress of humanity. In

doing so, nonetheless, I am very sympathetic to John Dewey’s ideas of Educational

Progressivism as well as to Paulo Freire’s Critical Pedagogy approach as both emphasize the

need to provide an education which relates to real-world experiences and activities that center on

the real life of the students and is simultaneously new and modern, rather than traditional, as well

as liberating.

In light of further recognizing that the quality of services an educator renders has the

potential of directly influencing the outcome of society and that students need role models, I

have acted, spoken and taught in such a manner as to exemplify honesty, integrity,

nondiscriminatory behavior and to encourage respect for other’s cultures and beliefs,

concomitantly maintaining a professional relationship with all students, both inside and outside

the classroom while concomitantly expecting the same principles from my student body, which

is a principle of concientization, another facet of the Freirian educational approach.

In light of my ongoing at-school experience, I have strived to establish and maintain a set

of ethical standards which would instill and stimulate a spirit of inquiry in the students, providing

them with opportunities in the school setting which would help them acquire viable knowledge,

skills and understanding that would meet their needs now and in the future, as supported by both

John Dewey and Paulo Freire. For such, I have worked my hardest to provide students with an

environment that is safe to their cognitive, physical and psychological well-being so they can

move toward the realization of their individual potential, as asserted by Maslow in his Hierarchy

of Needs.
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In closing, I have honored being entrusted with his students’ best interests with the

highest level of honesty, accuracy, integrity and responsibility to the best of my knowledge and

ability.