Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
1
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Philosophy of Education
A PAPER
SUBMITTED TO DR. THOMAS MARSHALL
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY FOR TEACHERS
EDUC 305-B04
By
Hilary Hartman
Student #27087686
March 13, 2016
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
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Abstract
This paper discusses aspects of different philosophies of education and how they relate to
my personal educational philosophy. It begins with an introduction that stresses the importance
of what impact we make on students in the classroom. My worldview and philosophy of life is
that all children can learn, within an environment where they feel safe and comfortable, and their
needs are being met. The teachings of Essentialism are discussed, as they closely resemble my
own beliefs on what I value most, what I want my students to value, and what ethical principles
guide me as an educator. I believe that children will thrive in a classroom where they are actively
participating in hands-on activities, as in a Pragmatic classroom. As in Critical Pedagogy, my
belief is that peer and teacher interaction are a great way for students to learn from others. My
beliefs on the teacher-learner relationship are a compilation of ideas from both Existentialism
and Critical Pedagogy, in that I believe that students and teachers should work together to solve
problems, have dialogue that promotes critical thinking, takes into consideration student
interests, and still maintains structure and control. Diversity factors for teachers to consider
inside the classroom are ethnicity, disability, religion, age, gender, language, and socio-economic
status. To meet the needs of all the diverse students in the classroom it is pertinent that the
teacher observes the students, research diversities, and implement any changes that are needed to
meet specific needs of diverse students. English language learners, gifted learners and students
with various learning styles can all benefit from peer interaction activities within the classroom.
Lastly, a classroom that is visually appealing, offers various forms of learnings, is well-managed,
and offers stimulating activities is a safe, welcoming environment that maximizes student
learning opportunities.
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
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Introduction
As educators we have the opportunity to invest into the lives of the children who walk
through our classroom door. We have the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on each child
that passes through. But what kind of impression are we choosing to leave? We must obtain
positive expectations of our students, which requires us to maintain the idea that no child is
hopeless. We must put forth positive expectations, and encourage every student to believe in
themselves. I believe that often times when we choose to have faith in someone, they exceed our
expectations. As a teacher, my ultimate goal is to foster a relationship with my students so that
they may begin to believe in their abilities, as much as I believe in them. Children can reach their
greatest potential when they are in a safe, comfortable environment and filled with
encouragement, positive reinforcement, and kind words. It is the responsibility of the teacher to
create that type of classroom environment for children to thrive and believe in themselves.
Worldview and Philosophy of Life
Sometimes in life it becomes overwhelmingly difficult to see the positive through the
negative. My view on life can best be described by Anne Frank. She said that “Everyone has
inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be!
How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” (Lombardi,
2016). This is how I view life. Each one of us is walking through life with potential sitting at the
surface, waiting for us to realize it’s there so we may unlock it and let it grow and flourish. As a
teacher, I believe that this worldview that I hold will greatly influence my teaching practices and
methods of instruction. I believe that all children have the potential to believe in themselves, but
not all of them do. I make it my personal responsibility to help them unlock their potential, and
to believe in them so much, that they cannot help but believe in themselves.
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The teachings of Essentialism closely resemble my own ideas, in that truth can be
understood in the mind of each individual person through intuition, revelation, and reasoning. In
the journey to discover one’s potential, there are many thoughts without a completion and
questions without an answer. These are questions that no one can answer, except for the person
who is on the journey to find their truth. Essentialists believe that teachers should attempt to
impart upon all students “traditional moral values and virtues such as respect for authority,
perseverance, fidelity to duty, consideration for others, and practicality and intellectual
knowledge that students need to become model citizens” (Essentialism, n.d.). These are all things
that I value for myself, and what I want my students to value as well. Essentialism is
characterized by a “core curriculum of traditional knowledge and skills, promotion of self-
discipline and…high expectations for student achievement” (Braley et al, 2003, p.46). Self-
discipline, integrity, and honesty, are some of the ethical principles that guide me as a teacher,
and that I will strive to pass on to my students.
Philosophy of Schools and Learning
For Essentialists, truth exists in the classics and modern science (Braley et al, 2003, p.
46). Children learn the content and processes that the teacher presents to them. Learning occurs
and knowledge is gained through rational thought processes. This is one area that I do not agree
with Essentialists. I believe that children will do better in a classroom where they are actively
participating in hands-on learning. Therefore, I feel that my beliefs on learning are closer to the
Pragmatist. Pragmatism begins with the child’s natural curiosity and emphasizes learning by
doing hands-on activities. My professional knowledge on curriculum, differentiating curriculum,
and being more diverse in my teaching methods will guide my instructional practices.
Additionally, Critical Pedagogy asserts that truth and knowledge can be discovered by learning,
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
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unlearning, relearning and reflecting. This allows students to actively participate in coming to
their own conclusions (NYU Steinhardt, 2016). This is one area of Critical Pedagogy that I agree
with and that I may use to form my instructional practices.
Instructional Practice
Critical Pedagogy “encourages students to respond and interact in the classroom as
functioning members of society” (NYU Steinhardt, 2016). Encouraging students to interact
within the classroom is a great way to have peers learning from peers. Information can be shared
and discussed, allowing all students to see and accept more than one point of view. Another area
of Critical Pedagogy that I will implement into my classroom is student-teacher dialogue.
Student-teacher dialogue is a way for students and teachers to both learn from each other about
issues that they mutually face, for example social issues and community matters. A teacher in a
pragmatic classroom will take into consideration a child’s natural curiosities, and implement the
content to be learned into hands-on activities. This technique is something that I will implement
in my classroom as I visualize every child’s interest as an opportunity for a learning experience.
A few pedagogical methods that I will frequently use in my class are role-playing, field trips, and
interactive games. By using these strategies, I hope to stimulate learning, while allowing my
students to participate in activities that are of interest to them. While I recognize a certain amount
of rote memorization, drills and writing can have a place in a classroom, I feel that it should be
kept to a minimum. Children will learn better and retain more, if they are enjoying not
necessarily what they are learning, but how they are learning it. Above all, this is an instructional
strategy that I value. As a teacher, there are standards on what my students are “supposed to”
learn, but more importantly I want to ensure that they are enjoying the process of learning.
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
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Teacher-Learner Relationships
My beliefs on the teacher-learner relationship is a compilation of ideas from both
Existentialism and Critical Pedagogy. In Existentialism, student’s creativity is fostered through
the student-oriented curriculum that emphasizes “individuality interests, self-awareness, and self-
expression” (Braley et al, 2003, p.43). The role of the student is not just one of a learner and a
recipient of information, but rather it is a role of a self-directed, self-motivated individual. The
role of the teacher in an Existentialist classroom is as a facilitator, who is there to assist their
students in understanding themselves and discovering their place in the world through
interactions. These are the aspects of the teacher and learner’s role in an Existentialist classroom
that line up with my beliefs on the teacher-learner relationship. An aspect of the teacher-learner
relationship in Existentialism that I do not agree with is the belief that the teacher and the student
are equal within the classroom, and that the teacher treats the students as a friend. This approach
lacks order, discipline, and content standards (Braley et al, 2003, p.43). I maintain that the while
the role of the teacher may at times be the disciplinarian or the enforcer of rules, the student-
teacher relationship should be one of a mutual understanding and respect. Teachers and students
should work hand-in-hand to create an environment where students are free to be creative
individuals and teachers assist them in exploring the content that is set before them to learn. This
is also an aspect of Critical Pedagogy that is reflective of my own beliefs. Teachers of Critical
Pedagogy learn together alongside their students. Students are encouraged to interact with peers
and with teachers to connect their own experiences with the material that they are discovering at
the time (Butler and McCunn, 2016). This is similar to Existentialism, in that it is both a teacher
and student oriented classroom, instead of just one or the other. This is the type of classroom that
I feel promotes learning. The teacher is not “in charge” and teaching only what they think the
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
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students should know, but it is also student-oriented in that teachers incorporate materials that are
of interest to the students. This type of classroom can still be organized and structured, but
students also have the ability to be an individual and explore where they fit in in the world,
through peer and teacher interaction and dialogue.
Diversity
In Ronald Reagan’s 1983 radio address to the nation on Education, he stated that
“America is a melting pot, and education has been a mainspring for our democracy and freedom,
a means of providing gifts of knowledge and opportunity to all citizens, no matter how humble
their background, so they could climb higher, help build the American dream, and leave a better
life for those who follow” (Ronald Reagan, 1999). As Reagan indicated in his speech, regardless
of a person’s background, a good education is the key to leaving a legacy, a better world for
future students. Diversity factors that should be taken into account by a teacher are ethnicity,
disability, religion, age, gender, language, and socio-economic status. As a teacher, I will
effectively meet the needs of all of my students by observing my students to discover
differences, researching specific needs associated with a specific diversity factor, and
implementing changes to my approach, the classroom environment, curriculum or otherwise.
Diversity comes in my shapes and sizes, but one similarity remains: Diverse students require a
teacher who has the knowledge and understanding to effectively meet their needs, which looks
different for each diversity. For example, an English language learner (ELL) may require a
teacher to differentiate curriculum, set goals for oral language development, learn words and
phrases in student’s home language, and/or increase cultural sensitivity to the backgrounds
represented in by ELLs in the classroom (Samson & Collins, 2012). “Research over the last
decade suggests that English language learners (ELLs) have not been receiving adequate support
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
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in their regular classrooms” because teachers “lack understanding of how their roles and teaching
approaches best support ELLs’ needs” (Yoon, 2008). It is the duty of the teacher to ensure that
they are educated on the best ways to support ELLs within the classroom, as it is vital for their
success. Another way support diversity in the classroom and meet the needs of diverse students is
to be intentional about providing opportunities for diverse students to interact with peers and
learn socially appropriate behaviors (Voltz, Sims, & Nelson, 2010). Students with disabilities as
well as gifted learners and students with various learning styles can benefit from peer
interactions and peer-tutoring activities. These student-oriented activities provide them with
opportunities to learn from other students who are different from themselves. Teachers can also
request that parents of diverse children come to the classroom to share ethnic foods, family
heirlooms, clothes or items significant to their culture or family photo albums. This allows a
multicultural connect to be made between home and the classroom, and provides a deeper
understanding of the culture for both the teacher and students.
Classroom Management Philosophy
I believe that providing an inviting, safe and comfortable classroom environment for my
students sets the precedent for learning. In order to maximize opportunities for student learning I
will provide a classroom environment full of visually appealing areas by using posters,
decorations, student art work, and literacy building materials. I will also create spaces for
learning such as a math area, a science area, language development area, and an art center that
will keep my students engaged and interested in completing their tasks. At the beginning of the
school year I will communicate my classroom rules and expectations of the students, and be
consistent in enforcing them. The rules and the daily schedule will be posted so that both parents
and students know what is expected of them. I will begin each day by greeting my students
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
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enthusiastically by name, so that they are confident that I am happy they are there and that they
have a place there. It is important to maintain children’s attention during instruction time,
therefore I will limit my instruction time to short periods that their attention spans can handle,
and I will engage them in group discussions and activities. A well-managed classroom creates a
safe, welcoming environment in which students are free to express their thoughts and feelings in
a variety of ways without fear of being judged or condemned. This is the classroom environment
that I will strive to achieve for my students.
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@References
Braley, J., Layman, J., & White, R. (2003). Foundations of christian school education.
Purposeful Design: Colorado Springs, CO.
Butler, O.E., & McCunn, R.L. (2016). Critical pedagogy: theory overview. Annenberg Learner.
Retrieved on March 13, 2016 from https://www.learner.org/workshops/hslit/session7/.
Essentialism. (n.d.). The Foundations of education web. Retrieved on February 8, 2016, from
http://www.siue.edu/~ptheodo/foundations/essentialism.html
Lombardi, E. (2016). Anne frank quotes. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from
http://classiclit.about.com/od/frankanne/a/aa_afrankquotes.htm
NYU Steinhardt. (2016). Department of art and art professions. Retrieved on February 8, 2016,
from http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/art/education/definitions
Ronald Reagan: Radio Address to the Nation on Education. (1999). Retrieved March 13, 2016,
from http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=41259
Samson, J.F. & Collins, B.A. (2012). Preparing all teachers to meet the needs of English
language learners. Center for American Progress. Retrieved March 13, 2016 from
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2012/04/30/11372/preparing-
all-teachers-to-meet-the-needs-of-english-language-learners/
Voltz, D.L., Sims, M.J., & Nelson, B. (2010). Connecting Teachers, Students, and Standards.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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Yoon, B. (2008). Uninvited Guests: The Influence of Teachers' Roles and Pedagogies on
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