Devon Bennett

June 7, 2016
ED 224
Professor Chirimwami

Philosophy of Education

The role of the educator, first and foremost, is to educate. After graduating from student

to teacher an expertise has been acquired. A defined body of knowledge and skills rests in each

educators mind; ready to disperse logic all across the land. However, in many nations, a teachers

training never truly ends, as we are lifelong learnersanother role of the educator. I would love

to see this ideal become more prominent for American teachers so their passion can blossom into

a craft or an expertise. New Zealand and Norway educators spend 20 percent or more of their

time being trained and mentored during the transition from student and teacher. According to

Round-Up: Other Countries Efforts to Develop and Support Teachers, many nations invest

significantly in the ongoing improvement of teachers through stipends, free college tuition, and

offer time off from regular duties so each teacher may sharpen their skills and continue research

in key areas. In the school year 2003-2004, just over half of U.S. teachers were given time away

from their work, making the role of lifelong learner, unfortunately, more difficult to obtain as

an American educator.

Although I do aspire to inspire students academically; my desire to become an educator

stems from my love for human connection over my love for mental growth. I personally do not

believe that a school teacher should act as a dictator forcing only practical, utilitarian, and

scientific subjects onto students. Nor do I believe he or she should be a carefree friend who only

focuses on nature, songs, and games. The goal of the educator is to meet the students in the

middle as guide, mentor, friend, and counselor.

 Take Sonya Romero-Smith of Albuquerque for example. She claims that the first hour of

her day consists of checking in with her students; making sure they are fed, bathed, and okay

because a large portion of her class come from an impoverished home. You will play an

important role in determining the extent to which such efforts succeed or fail (the efforts being

enlarging opportunities and ensuring that benefits of education are realistically available for

students). As an educator, the role is to give purpose to another young souls learning experience.

Unfortunately, American educators tend to receive a bad reputation for lack of student

achievement or student interest. A great deal of this negativity comes from outside sources,

however. According to the National Center for Children Poverty, 45 percent of children in the

United States live in a low-income family, exposing them to financial stress and emotional

distress. American educators have to play both teacher and counselor due to these hardships;

something that educators in countries with high achieving students dont see as often.

Two of the most important goals that come with teaching are preparing and developing.

Educators are responsible for the preparation of informed citizens, development of well-rounded

individuals, preparation of individuals who can find the information they need to solve problems

in a constantly changing world, and developing caring and empathetic individuals. I believe that

schools must be concerned with the growth and development of the entire child, not just with

certain mental aspects. Yes, a mastery of basic skills should occur, to serve as the development of

mental intelligence; nonetheless, attention must be paid to the physical and emotional health of

students to create the whole-child concept.

When it comes to educating, I believe adopting a more community-based approach is not

only going to be beneficial but is absolutely necessary. Too many students are falling through the

cracks because a number on a state assessment is more important than the well-being of a child.
In order to provide for and prepare our youth for the futures they face, we must recognize that it

takes a village to raise a child. You reap what you sow. If you want a fully-functioning society

then you need to participate in the planting of intelligent and emotionally stable seeds.

The society I seek to create with my education is a society that knows to question

everything but is mentally and emotionally sound enough to weigh out realistic answers and

opportunities. I wish for nothing more than to prepare and develop pupils with caring and

empathetic personalities, common sense, a desire for individual growth, and community

involvement. I do not expect everyone to be a scholar but the human brain is a fascinating tool

that our species has been blessed with, which I do not take lightly. In my classroom, I would

instill a hunger to be life-long learners into each and every student of mine.

I believe in educating the natural child and the whole childs mind/body/emotions,

learning through experience, recognizing that a childs early experiences have an important

formative and continuing influence on later life, and focusing on developmental growth.

Educators and philosophers, such as Jean Piaget and John Dewey, had similar philosophies for

education as I find myself having.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was an educator who focused on learning not only through

experience but through the natural environment. Today, this has served child-centered

curriculums that focus on childrens interests and needs. Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi sought to

develop schools that, like loving families, would nurture childrens holistic development. His

general method, which sought to create a caring and emotionally healthy homelike school

environment, is highly meaningful for teachers today who are concerned with educating at-risk

children. John Dewey called school a miniature society and an embryonic community, in

which children learned collaboratively by working together to solve problems. This philosophy
stimulated children to formulate, examine, and test their ideas by acting on them. Through

education, children access their cultural heritage and learn to use in in problem solving. Deweys

influence can be seen in hands-on teaching and learning.

Maria Montessori focused on the belief that children are capable of sustained self-

directed work in learning a particular skill. Most importantly, though, Montessori placed

emphasis on the school as part of the community and the need for parent participation and

support. Jean Piaget is very similar in that sense. He discovered that children construct their

concepts about reality by actively exploring their environment. Piagets theories stimulated a

movement to make classroom settings more informal and more related to how children learn.

These ideas can easily be squished together to create one, whole-child ball of foundations

of education. Mathematics, history, science, geography, and literature are all very importantI

do not recommend removing these subjects from the curriculumbut a greater emphasis on

making and doing, practical skills, problem solving, the natural self, and the interests of each

student needs to be placed on the American school system. Creating learning environments in

which a childs natural goodness can grow while developing moral, mental, and physical powers,

harmoniously, is the goal.

Our education system needs more of a community involvement (especially from

parents/guardians) so that our students will not feel helpless, poor, or stupid. The feeling of

connectedness can do wonders on a soul! The curriculum should be rigorous yet rewarding so

not to discourage but motivate the learner. The approaches should be hands-on because no one

wants to be spoken at, we humans prefer to be spoken toand boy, do we love being a part of

the action! Lastly, a secure environment is essential to promote learning. Too many students face
insecure home lives. The educating space should be a safe haven, of sorts, offering opportunity

and growth.

I cannot stress enough how firmly I believe in everyone being educated (for the people,

by the people!). Race, gender, age, and income have no place in a classroom. The only

differentiating factors that make sense is development and interests. An eighteen year old with

advanced mathematical skills would not find himself in the same classroom as a twelve year old

with poor math and reading skills. Classrooms should be divided up by progress and career goals

to offer the most effective education.

Take Shanghai, China for example. One of its strengths is that the city has mainly moved

away from an elitist system and toward a more egalitarian, neighborhood attendance system in which

students of diverse backgrounds and abilities are educated under the same roof. The city has focused

on bringing the once-shunned children of migrant workers into the school system.

As I have stated repeatedly, I have very collectivistic views in a very individualistic society. I

believe parents should be meeting with educators regularly. I believe teachers deserve more than they

receive from the government, school districts, and citizens so they may successfully be life-long

learners while successfully instilling a desire to grow in their pupils. I believe children should

develop not only mentally but also physically and emotionally. I believe children should be taking

interest in things that directly affect the city they live in such as gardening and community service.

When I say I believe children, I truly mean all children. Shanghai has embraced the

notion that migrant children are also our children. All children are our children. It is our

responsibility to educate human beings to maintain that natural goodness that we are born with

while tapping into the human brain, and all of its intelligence, to create a well-rounded and

whole child. Our child.

 Sources Cited

Foundations of Education, textbook

Allan C. Ornstein, Daniel U. Levine, Gerald L. Gutek, David E. Vocke

Why Other Countries Teach Better, The New York Times

The Editorial Board

Roundup: Other countries' efforts to develop and support teachers, The Christian Science Monitor
Stacy Teicher Khadaroo