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Shawna Ergenbright

EDUC 300.6

Philosophy of Education

The Purpose of Education

Education plays a huge role in a child’s life. They spend six to eight hours, five days a

week, one hundred eighty days a year in school. It shapes them into the people that they are, and

they learn everything from academics knowledge to social skills in this institution called

education. Some students graduate still wondering why they sat in classrooms for so many hours

of the day because often times, teachers forget to remind students of why their education is

important. The purpose of earning an education gets lost along the path to graduation

sometimes.

Education has always seemed transitional to me because it served as a jumping off point

to higher education, though that may not be the purpose of school for other students. In general,

education serves the purpose to teaching students skills that they need to continue on in life in

whatever field they choose. Students should leave school knowing what it means to be well

informed and high quality community members, citizens, and human beings Students in search

of higher education should graduate high school with a strong academic foundation, work ethic,

and time management skills. Those who choose to enter the work field should leave school with

skills in the area they are interested in along with a strong basic academic foundation. Both

demographics should graduate with strong social skills and independent living and learning

skills. Social skills will help them resolve conflict and communicate with others effectively.

Independent living skills will help them lead healthy lifestyles, manage their financial

obligations, and live on their own. Independent learning skills will allow students to continue to

pursue education in whatever form they desire. As a teacher, I want my students to know that
they are students for life, and I want to provide them with the skills as well as ignite their passion

to continue their learning on their own post-graduation.

Two things all students should graduate school with are strong critical thinking and

problem solving skills. These skills can be used to help change the world that we live in. Every

situation or crisis that is seen on the news can be resolved with critical thinking and problem

solving skills, which is why I promote the social reconstructivism philosophy. Social

reconstructivism focuses on teaching students about identifying the inequities around them,

forming their own stances on those inequities, and coming up with ways to dissolve those

inequities in the best way possible (Sadker & Zittleman, 2012). This learning philosophy teaches

strong critical thinking and problem solving skills (2012). It pushes students to identify multiple

intertwining problems and then weighing the pros, cons, and any risks involved in the multiple

different solutions. The skills learned through the social reconstructivism philosophy are

transferable to any field of their life (2012). They can be used in a classroom, a relationship, an

office, crises, etc.

Because I am a supporter of the social reconstructivism philosophy, I also advocate for

child-centered teaching. Teachers can inspire and build students up or they can completely ruin

a child’s passion to learn. Despite the triteness, children really are the future of this country and

the world. Teachers play one of the most crucial roles in preparing children to change the world,

and the most important lessons that are taught, cannot be taught in any one subject. Children

also learn better when teachers tailor their teaching to each specific child. Though, this is not

always easy or possible, any attempt to connect and educate individuals is never a failed attempt.
Curriculum

What is a school without an effective curriculum? Nothing. Schools should offer classes

that fit and appeal to all the needs and interests of its students. Schools should require all of the

main academic fields such as science, history, math, and English, but there should be many

different varieties of classes to take within each discipline. For example, a student could fulfill

their history requirement by taking a history class on a country that they are interested in or on a

specific time span in history that they really enjoy. Within the English department, students

could take Shakespearean literature, poetry, creative writing, journalism, etc. All of these classes

however, should somehow incorporate themes and lessons that encourage critical thinking,

problem solving, and other skills involved in the Social Reconstructivism Philosophy. Teachers

could do this by creating assignments or projects that force students to use and further develop

their skills.

The main skills involved in Social Reconstructivism such as problem solving and critical

thinking should always be enforced and included across all disciplines. Students should be

learning how to assess multiple problems, calculate their best risk, and solve the given problems

using the critical thinking skills that they are also learning along the way. Teachers in all

disciplines should also be looking for ways to relate their curriculum to real life events that could

be based off of current events happening in the world around us or situations that are made up or

inspired by real life events.

Every class should be set up and ran in a way that makes it possible for every student to

succeed. In some diverse classrooms, full of children with different needs and accommodations,

succeeding can be one of the most difficult challenges they have ever faced. One example of a
diverse student who struggles to succeed is a student with special needs. I believe that it is

completely possible for every student with a disability to be included with the rest of their class

and should be included fully whenever possible. It is important for these special learners to

regularly be interacting, working with, and learning from the other students who do not have a

diagnosed disability (Fisher & Frey, 2016). These regular interactions help students with special

needs better learn the social norms of society along with learning to be more self sufficient in

their own tasks by watching how other students handle their own activities (2016). For those

students without disabilities, it provides numerous opportunities to teach and learn from others

who think and function differently than they do (2016). Another example of a diverse student is

an English Language Learner. The most important way to help ELL’s learn is to always provide

an accepting and encouraging learning environment where they feel comfortable embracing their

own culture and language while also learning a new ones (“What to do first in the ELL

classroom”). Another way to help their learning is by using Gardner’s multiple intelligences.

According to Gardener, people have up to eight different approaches to learning:

verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal,

intrapersonal, and naturalist (Ryan, Cooper, & Bolick, 2016). Teachers can relatively easily

teach ELL’s using their other strengths in other intelligences. For example, maybe a student is

struggling to learn colors in the English language, but if a teacher takes those English colors and

puts them to music, then the student may learn and retain them better because that information is

being accessed through the student’s musical intelligence.


Nature of the Learner

Learning should always revolve around the relationship between the teacher and the

student. A student cannot be successful without a teacher, and a teacher cannot teach effectively

without a student. Both parties learn and grow from each other. Students learn the material from

the teacher, and the teacher learns how to better meet each student’s needs by assessing their

knowledge. However, who is to blame when a student does not succeed? The teacher or the

student? I believe it is sixty percent of a student’s education falls on his or her own shoulders,

and the other forty percent falls on the teacher’s. A student must be willing to teach and learn on

their own at times. There are lessons to be learned from actively pursuing an education as

opposed to passively receiving one. Students who persistently seek more and more knowledge

will walk away with more than they had originally intended along with learning self-discipline,

focus, and dedication. From my own experience, I have learned more and enjoy the classes more

where I pushed myself to learn more about what the teacher was teaching in class on my own,

and I often did better in those classes. I have met plenty of students who passively sit in class

expecting to absorb all the knowledge they need, and often times, those students barely pass

those classes and leave with less passion about learning than when they had first walked through

the doors of that classroom. However, I have also been in classes where the teacher just teaches

very poorly making it incredibly difficult to learn and retain the information in front of me. I

have also had teachers who have drained my own thirst for knowledge because they made, what

I once thought to be, an enjoyable subject unbearable. There are also teachers out there who

structure their classes in a way that makes it hard for students to succeed such as not providing

enough grading opportunities for students to occasionally not do well, however, the
responsibility mainly belongs to the student to actively be seeking and practicing his or her

knowledge.

All classrooms should provide encouraging environments consisting of patient and

understanding students, teachers, and administrators. What does this look like exactly? Well,

learning is full of triumphs and defeats, and all involved in the learning process should be

understanding of both the ups and downs of learning. Students will succeed, and teachers should

celebrate that victory with them, but students will also fail from time to time, and those times are

the most important because that is usually where a student learns the most. During these times of

failure, it is extremely important for all parties involved to practice patience and understanding.

It is very easy for a student or teacher to give up when they do not succeed, so it is crucial for

students, teachers, and administrators to continually provide support and encouragement.

Effective Classroom Environment

Classrooms should cater to the students that enter it. Each student’s individual needs

should be addressable within that space. The classroom should also offer calm and sanctuary to

those students who need it. It should be organized, uplifting, and colorful. All diversities should

be represented in someway so that every student who enters feels welcome and safe. When I

envision what my classroom looks like, I picture a very organized environment full of positive

and inspiring pictures and posters. I also see parts of my classroom offering more subdued and

peaceful spaces for students to calm down and collect themselves and their thoughts. I picture

inspirational quotes from musicians and conductors from all different walks of life pinned up all

of the classroom. I also see displays of instruments and music from different cultures so that my

students are aware that music beyond the Western world exists and that it is also beautiful.
The most important part to an effective classroom is an effective teacher. Teachers

should be excited to teach their subject matter and display their excitement and passion to teach

each and every student regularly (Ryan, Cooper, & Bolick, 2016). This influences students to be

passionate about their own education, so they learn more because the teacher is excited about

what they are teaching. Teachers should also create safe and positive environments where

students feel comfortable to try and fail; it is from this failure that they learn the most important

lessons that cannot be taught. Effective teachers should also keep organized and maintained

classrooms so that every student feels motivated to learn because they have a classroom that

reflects the kind of education they would like to receive. Students feel valued and important

when they are able to learn in an environment that meets all of their own needs.

The Role of a Teacher

Teachers should always promote warm professional relationships with administrators,

fellow teachers, and parents. It is always impressive to meet someone who is professional in

everything they do but yet warm and friendly. At times, it can be so easy to be professional but

cold and impersonal, and I think the most important part is to build professional relationships.

To do that, one must be friendly and warm. This type of relationship with an administrator

might look like that of a mentorship. A teacher can create a relationship where he or she is

comfortable enough to approach an administrator for help or guidance on a variety of different

topics or situations. A similar relationship with a fellow teacher could look very similar or could

even be considered a friendship. Schools work best when teachers work together, and when

teachers work together, it is difficult not to build supportive relationships. When concerning

parents or guardians, teachers should always make it known that they, too, are advocates for each
student. Teachers should never be an enemy to parents, but an extra set of helping hands.

Parents should feel comfortable approaching a teacher when dealing with a variety of issues such

as behavior or learning issues. This relationship should always be of support and teamwork

never of blame or insult.

In my classroom, I want to promote positive and supportive behaviors, though, I know

those can be hard to foster. My students should know what hard work looks and feels like, but

they should also know that hard work deserves play, as well. I want to help build strong and

productive work ethics while also encouraging a warm social environment where every student

feels supported by the other. Learning is team sport; no student can learn and thrive as well on

their own as they can with a team of supportive peers. I want to teach my students that their

success is dependent upon their success of those around them which will encourage them to

always be willing to help those who struggle the most. Teaching just a few of these behaviors

and outlooks will transfer over to their everyday life which, on a larger scale, could change the

world.

It is my job to teach my students more than what is on the syllabus. It is up to me to

teach my students what it means to be a good person, and give them the tools they need to

succeed in their life and the world. My students are the future of this world, and for my sake, I

want them to walk away with a toolbelt full of ways for them to potential change the world--or at

least the corner of the world that they live in. On paper, my job is to teach students music, but in

practice, I teach self-discipline, teamwork, practice, and patience along with other more drawn

out intangible ideals.


Ongoing Professional Development

In the world of music education, I want to at least dabble in the multiple schools of

thoughts in teaching music to have a more well-rounded idea of how to teach music to all of my

students which will help me be able to reach out to more diverse students. I also want to do

more research on how to take the world of music and teach it in a way that helps students learn

other critical thinking and problem solving skills, so they can go on to help change the world one

day. It is also important to me continue to learn how to bring other subjects into my music

classroom so that students can see the role music has or can have in other discipline and facets of

life. I also want to pursue an even higher education in administration so I can continue to learn

more about how to better accommodate and advocate for my students’ needs.

I am flawed just as every person is, and I have many personality traits that I should stop

before I become a teacher such as my love of procrastination. Procrastination can be the kiss of

death in a classroom just as it can be for any college student. If a teacher is not proactive about

their grading, lesson plans, etc., the fun of teaching can very quickly and easily get lost in the

piles of work that can accumulate on a desk in a short amount of time. I need to start being more

proactive about my time management and assignments. I need to start my projects sooner, and

space the work out over a reasonable amount of time. This will allow me to more time to enjoy

my life outside of teaching as well as pursue more professional development opportunities in my

spare time. Something I need to continue to do is building professional relationships. It is

relatively easy for me to build relationships with other professionals within my field, and those

relationships have brought me to so many incredible opportunities and experiences which have

helped me grow as a teacher, leader, and professional. Networking is often times regarded as
one of the most important skills to learn as a young professional, and it is one that I want to

continue mastering so that I have a web of people who are here to support me in all of my

endeavors.
References

Fisher, Douglas & Frey, Nancy. (November, 2016). Show & tell: a video column/only as special

as necessary. ​Educational Leadership, 7​ 4, 3, 85-86.

Ryan, K., Cooper, J.M., & Bolick, C.M. (2016). ​Those who can, teach. ​Boston, MA:

Cengage Learning.

Sadker, D.M., & Zittleman, K.R. (2012). ​Teachers, schools, and society. ​(3rd ed.). New York:

McGraw-Hill.

“What to do first in the ELL classroom.” ​¡Colorín colorado!​ Retrieved from

http://www.colorincolorado.org/classroom-video/what-do-first-ell-classroom

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