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PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Rebeca Barba
LBS 400
Philosophy of Education
11/15/16

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Education is essential for communities to move forward, and it is constantly being

revised to better suit students needs. Education inspires curiosity and imagination and gives
people the chance to progress in the society we live in today. Education prepares students, so
when they become adults, they are clear about the goals they want to pursue and the steps they
need to take. Providing a safe and comforting environment is crucial for students to reach their
fullest potential. Progressivism and social reconstruction are the education philosophies that
align most to my beliefs because they both focus on the students and teaching based on their
needs.
Progressivism is the belief that education should focus on the whole child, and not on the
content or teacher. Progressivists believe that students should learn by experimenting with the
world around them. The curriculum is based on questions and ideas that the students come up
with on their own. This seems to be getting lost in the education system today. There is so much
emphasis on testing and maintaining high test scores that students end up only learning how to be
good test-takers. Children at this age need to be able to look at the world and come up with
questions. They need to be able to try new things and see why it does or does not work. This type
of learning will help students retain information because they are able to learn in a way that best
suits each individual. In addition, social reconstruction is the philosophy that focuses on social
reform and preparing students to make a difference. With social reconstruction in the classroom,
there is social purpose as the guiding force for the reconstruction of experience within the
school. Social purpose also guided the selection of content and activities which formed the
curriculum. (Zuga, 1992) Social reconstruction has the goal of preparing students to question
the worlds laws and stand up for what is right.

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

The learning theory that I will use in my classroom is cooperative learning. This type or
learning correlate mostly with my philosophy. In cooperative learning, the pupils are expected
to help, discuss and argue with each other; assess each other's current knowledge; and fill any
gaps in each other's understanding. (Veenman, 2002) The teacher can help them, but they are
mostly completing their own work. This is beneficial for the students because in the real world,
people often have to work together to come up with the best solution to a problem. They do not
have a teacher to answer their questions. If they try to do everything on their own, they may not
get different perspectives to come up with the most effective solution. Working together also
allows students to start seeing different personalities and learn that not everyone will be like
them. Working together is critical in society, so cooperative learning would be valuable practice
to prepare the students.
Having a functional, positive classroom environment is important for me as a teacher. In
the world we live in today, there are many places that do not feel safe, so I need to make sure that
the classroom is one place where students feel comfortable. One of the first things I will do is
establish trust between me and my students. I will tell them that anything that they write for free
writes or assignments will be between me and them. I will not tell anyone. I have had a teacher
tell me this in a classroom before and although it is something small, it definitely made me feel
like I was in a safe a trusted environment. I will pass on these words to my own students and
remind them often, so they can feel safe. They will know that I am always there if they need an
adult to talk to. Another thing that I will be sure to do is create a bully-free zone. Bullying is a
huge problem in many places, so it is one thing that I need to address right away. I need to create
a place where students are aware that bullying is unacceptable. I will teach them about respect
and treating others correctly, regardless of their background, the way they look, or any other

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

attributes a child may have. There should never be any judgment from one student to another.
Children need to be constantly reminded that bullying is not tolerated. These are the points that I
feel need to be addressed as soon as possible in a class in order to create a functional learning
environment.
As a teacher, it is my job to get every student to their fullest potential, regardless of how
they started the year. I will believe in every single student, so they can learn to believe in
themselves. I will also make sure that the classroom is a judgment-free place where students can
feel comfortable to be themselves. A teacher has many jobs and works lots of hours, so it is
important that they are committed and passionate about teaching. This love for the job results in
knowing that a students life can be changed with a proper education.

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

References
Zuga, K. (1992). Social reconstruction curriculum and technology education. Journal of
Technology Education, 3(2), 48.
Veenman, S., van Benthum, N., Bootsma, D., van Dieren, J., & van der Kemp, N. (2002).
Cooperative learning and teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(1), 87103.