Running head: EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR ALL
Educational Philosophy:
Attainable Valuable Education for
All
Stryder Z. Smith
L26443467
EDUC 604
Dr. James Fyock
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
Abstract
There is no question that education is valuable, especially for public-school students,
education is not something you can pay for. Education should be attainable to all people that call
the United States their home. My purpose as an educator is not to regurgitate information from
textbooks, but to help equip students in the skills necessary for success in the communal,
professional, and personal realms of life. Education crosses all boundaries of wealth, race,
gender, upbringing, aspirations, and difficulties. It is my belief that attainable valuable education
is for all students and people, and throughout the course of this essay a more in-depth discussion
will be expanded upon.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
Introduction
I believe that our students have received a second-rate education, this is especially true in
urban or poorer communities. Resources or parental support cannot determine if a student
receives an education that is meaningful; even the most difficult of situations should be an
example of an educator’s persistence. Valuable education is not something for those who are
rich, live in safe neighborhoods, or have parents who went to prestigious universities. Valuable
education should be attainable to all, whether you come from a broken home, live in a
neighborhood with high amounts of crime, or do not know where your next meal is coming from.
Education should be an opportunity to escape the troubles and expectations, while immersing
into a world of knowledge. Giving students an everlasting empowerment to make a difference
locally and globally for a better world. Education is more than schools, teachers, knowledge, it's
about making a difference in all realms of society; especially in the lives of students who have
been deemed at a disadvantage. This paper explores, defines, and expands my education
philosophy, 'attainable valuable education for all.'
Worldview & Philosophy of Life
My basis of worldview is rooted first and foremost in God’s word. Specifically, John 1:1
(English Standard Version) “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God.” Through proper exegesis of this passage, the question of what is real or true
is answered. Word, or logos, means mind, thought, wisdom, intelligence, reason, order, law.
Knowing that information, I am able to answer the question of what is important in this world,
what gives life meaning. God created us with a natural draw towards order, thinking,
intelligence, and the everlasting quest for purpose.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
The quest for determining what the meaning of life is has spanned thousands of years and
philosophers have come to multiple different schools of thought. Realism is a common
acceptance, and although I believe what we see in front of us as having meaning and purpose,
there are much larger things at work that we may not recognize yet. Realism can be a
troublesome philosophical point of view to adopt because it allows each individual to define
what is true, usually based on their own experience and then reject all other realities as false
(Gutek, 1995; Putnam, 2016). Reality is not something we determine; an educator cannot teach
productively if there is no clear definition of what is true and real.
Although there is truth found within the core of realism, it is important to remember that
just because we do not see everything, does not mean it does not exist. By basing my worldview
and philosophy of life on God’s word, I am able to see things from a perspective differently
than the general population. Through the lens of God’s word, I am able to see the way life
should be, but also, the way life has the potential to be through love and devotion to Christ. In a
public setting, students are not going to hear God’s word and experience this reality, but instead
I am expected to set an example through action and outlook.
Idealism is another philosophical belief that is misleading people, because of our inability
to fully grasp God’s purpose. Idealism is the belief that our reality is at its core, a fundamental
concept (Gutek, 1995; Golestani & Takhtfouladi, 2014). The biggest problem with this belief is
that it emphasizes the human mind as the creator of reality and ignores God’s infinite wisdom
and design. Once again, from my perspective this is not something that should be adopted to
further education in our country, but in fact idealism is something that can cause a greater divide
because it provides no clear definition of what is real. It is important to not look at ourselves as
the source of all knowledge and meaning; there has to be a greater force that assists in our
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
understanding of what is true, meaningful, ethical, and valuable; idealism does not answer any of
those questions for society as a whole.
As a human being, and more importantly as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I value love and
respect for God first and then man second. I believe that value from my perspective and the
perspective of students cannot rest on idealistic thought, but has to be rooted in something more
meaningful and authoritative. There is a section of scripture known as the Shema, which is a
Hebrew word meaning hear or listen in English, the Shema is what defines value in my life and
has also been the case of millions of people for thousands of years. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is where
you can find the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love
the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might.” The most valuable
thing ever made manifest is an individual’s relationship with God, that is what I want my
students to ultimately value most in this world. If I am in a public setting, I may not be able to
literally say that, but I will rely on allusions of God’s work in my life and the life of millions
before me. The Shema has guided the Hebrew people for centuries, and I want to be driven by
my love for God throughout eternity.
Philosophy of Schools & Learning
As I have continued pursuing my Master’s degree, I have been hard-pressed to discover
what I definitively believe the purpose of schools and learning are. Erasmus, as outlined in our
textbook (Gutek, 1995) presented an educational philosophy that I found myself agreeing with. I
believe a Christian-Humanist perspective is appropriate for this next section and more
specifically why I think it is necessary to implement Erasmus thinking into our schools. I will
agree with Van Brummelon (p. 13, 2009) when the author said, “schools are for learning,
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
teaching intends to promote learning… learning takes place through experience and individual
study.” Teachers need to create an environment where students are able to learn.
Change is necessary and progress is critical for survival, not only from the perspective of
a human being, but especially in the realm of schools and learning. Progressivism is the ideal that
social reform is important and necessary. This is a belief system that I have adopted and my
Christian faith is not set aside because of it. Schools should be a place where advances are made,
where students are taught differently, where educators create a classroom where learning can
happen despite the issues outside the school walls. Progressivism will be discussed in the
proceeding section because it is critical in the way I determine to practice education.
Erasmus believed that change and social reform was possible outside of violence; that
peace could be an attainable goal (Gutek, 1995). I too believe that social changes can happen
without violence and this is one of the purposes of the school in my opinion. Schools should be a
place where learning happens, not learning only in the sense that students leave more
knowledgeable in academia, but that students leave the classroom with an understanding of
empowerment. Unfortunately, many teachers have taken a backseat approach to education and
allowed the textbooks to define what is taught or what is meaningful in students’ lives. I believe
this is problematic because we create students with big brains, who can recite the capitals of the
states; compare medieval art to Renaissance art; and explain why the 19th Amendment is
important. That is not the purpose of schools or learning, we are given an opportunity as
educators to help direct students’ lives in a more meaningful direction.
I think Erasmus was on to something, I believe that it is possible to improve individuals
and governments through educational means (Gutek, 1995). This progress that I hope to
accomplish in my classroom, but also, the classrooms throughout our country is not something
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
that can be done overnight. It will take hours of work and follow-up to even begin to see change,
but it has to be something that educators preserve in. I believe that schools have an opportunity
to create knowledgeable students, but also give them opportunities to express their knowledge
and creativity. By doing this first part, educators are able to take the talents, skills, knowledge,
motivations, and aspirations that are within each student, and help give them a direction to
pursue. For my classroom, that direction is social change, that makes the love of God the core
motive for all actions and reactions.
I give a high credit to students and individuals as a whole for that matter. I believe people
are capable of amazing, world changing actions through their own skills and knowledge, but
many times they do not know how to harness their own ability and utilize it for meaningful
change; simply put students need to be shown how to utilize the skills and knowledge they have.
Lev Vygotsky, a Soviet psychologist who created the Cognitive Development Theory believed
that a child’s learning took place within their zone of proximal development (Slavin, p. 39, 2015).
The zone of proximal development are tasks that a child cannot yet complete on their own, but
with the assistance of a peer or an educator they are able to be taught how to undertake and finish
the task. Vygotsky is where I was reaffirmed of my belief that people are capable of anything, we
must have a guiding force to learning how to apply the skills for the given task. It is the
responsibility of the school system to help harness these brilliant student’s potential; including
their skills and talents and show them how they can use their skill to learn and grow as a person,
but also make a difference in our world. This is why history is important, not so we can repeat
back information, but for the purpose of learning from our past and applying our skills to make
changes for the future. It is the same for every subject taught in our schools. English is important
because we are learning how to articulate ideas and expressions; we are showing students the
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
power of words and how words are part of every realm of life. School must be more than
textbooks and end of year exams, it should be about creating a better tomorrow through the
access to knowledge and information, and through the development of skills and talents.
Educational Practice
As stated above, I believe Vygostky was on to something in his Cognitive Development
Theory. God created each human being uniquely, though we share many things in common, we
are absolutely not the same. We learn differently, we express ourselves differently, and to
reiterate Vygostky, we have the skills necessary, we just need someone to show us how to use
them. I will discuss how I will implement that into my practice, but first I think it is important to
share a story that has forever changed my perspective on education.
My Grandpa Burt is a certifiable genius, he is a brilliant man that has accomplished so
much in life, especially in the platform God has given him. He has received his PH. D.; inspired
thousands of students; and is now making a change in our federal government for the safety and
progress of fire-fighters. It was not always that way, in fact my grandpa suffers from Dyslexia,
which is a learning disability that is prevalent in reading and language. He always had a hard
time in school, especially high school, but he graduated and went on to do great things. He told
me a story about the moment his perspective of learning changed forever and that was when he
was assigned to write a creative paper in one of his college courses. Writing was always
something that he struggled with and undoubtedly that fear made its way into his mind when he
turned in his paper to his professor. The professor, after grading the paper wanted to meet with
Burt. The paper was chalked full of grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, but it was filled
with one thing, my grandpas ability to write. In fact the professor recommended that my grandpa
get the paper published. The professor said grammar and punctuation is not more important than
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
creativity and insight, which my grandpa displayed. Upon hearing this story I knew that an
educators role was to teach more than technique, but to take an individual’s ability and help them
flourish. For my grandpa, that one professor made a difference that helped shape my grandpa’s
life and the life of those who came in contact with him. I am grateful for that professor because it
has helped me to recognize what is important as a student.
This practice that the professor displayed to my grandpa is something I want to utilize in
my career and life. The knowledge my grandpa and all students have for that matter, may not be
easily recognizable on end of year exams. As a teacher, I want to be able to see past miniscule
mistakes and see the core of the student’s ability. I can come alongside the students and show
them how to use skills for success, but it is the God given ability we all have that allows us to
create and learn. Vygostky was presenting groundbreaking information about a student’s ability
to learn and that is clearly something I plan to practice.
Progressivism, as mentioned earlier, is an educational practice that I intend on fulfilling.
Educational progressivism was a belief that John Dewey exercised in the American education
system within the twentieth century (Gutek, 1995; Alridge, 2007; Campbell & Sherington,
2006). At the core of progressivism, there is a belief that education should focus on the whole
child, not on the content, subject, or the teacher. It is important as a progressive advocate to
stress the testing and application of student’s ideas through experiments. It is important that I, as
an educator assist students along their journey from adolescence into adulthood. It is my belief
that learning happens by doing and that is something Dewey was a proponent of through the mid
1950s.
Teacher-Learner Relationships
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
I believe that the teacher-learner relationship is very important and outside of scripture
there is a multitude of beliefs. Jesus said in Matthew 23:12, “whoever exalts himself will be
humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” This scripture may see odd in the realm
of teacher-learner relationship, but I believe that God has defined what he expects from both
parties.
We know that the student is not above the teacher (Lk. 6:40), but there is a great amount
of responsible on the teacher to train the student in the way that they should go (Pro. 22:6). I
think all people play the role of the teacher and the learner throughout our lives. Whether it be
the classroom, workplace, or in relationships with others, we all are constantly learning and
teaching one another. That is something I plan to adopt into my classroom, along with a humility
that respects student’s opinions and values albeit the differences we may have.
Jesus was the pinnacle source of servanthood, but he was also an amazing teacher, in fact
he was the teacher that set that standard for all. He was a teacher who taught with power and
authority (Matt. 4:23); he was unique in his teaching methods and thought outside the box (Matt.
7:28); he taught to various people groups outside of his comfort zone (Matt. 15:38); he was
compassionate to everyone no matter what their social status (Mk. 3:1-6); and Christ taught with
a perspective of people first (Lk. 13:10-17). Jesus gives me the example of the relationship I am
supposed to have with all individuals in my life and especially those who I am appointed over in
the classroom. I want to emulate Christ to those who have never seen his mighty hand at work in
a person’s life. The public-school system is repressive in the expression of faith from an
educator’s perspective, but that does not mean that the role the teacher plays within the student’s
life is any less important. Those that call themselves Christians should be displaying that within
the relationships inside their classrooms.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
Diversity
It is inevitable that as a teacher I will be exposed to various students from diverse
backgrounds. Whether it be religion, race, demography, socioeconomic standing, knowledge, or
life experience, I have a unique opportunity to be a loving presence in each of their lives. This is
such an important concept to me because I love meeting new people, from different backgrounds
and beliefs. I may not always agree with their opinions or worldviews, but that cannot affect
whether I teach from a position of love or not.
Once again, I draw my example from scripture and more specifically the example Christ
set. He was truly part of this world, but he lived and acted like he knew there was more out there.
This is how I live now and want to live my life within my classroom. I want to show compassion
on the uniqueness of each of the student’s upbringings. I want to display respect and value for
student’s beliefs and opinions. I will not compromise learning or experiencing education because
a student does not have a stable household.
Each individual that I teach will have their own story, their own aspirations, and
ultimately it is my job to help push them into a direction where their talents and skills are utilized
for the furthering of society and self. I will give opportunities for students to express their
insight. It is my role as an educator to treat students with different backgrounds with love and
respect, but also, I can be praying for my students. I think prayer is often overlooked when it
comes to our students and because of prayer I have developed my own education philosophy and
it is rooted in love for all.
Conclusion
It is important that all teachers develop their own theory for education. I have rooted
mine in what is important to me, I have made the foundation of my educational philosophy
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
God’s word. I want to see changes and progress in every area of society, life, school, and
relationships. Education is a tool that can be used to equip students to make a difference in the
world we live in and I believe valuable education should be attainable for all. We can no longer
allow resources, neighborhoods, or racial backgrounds to separate us from achieving this goal of
delivering attainable valuable education to all. It is my quest and goal in life to do just that and I
hope my vision for education will be shared by other professions, students, and parents.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
References
Alridge, D. P. (2007). Of victorianism, civilizationism, and progressivism: The educational ideas
of anna julia cooper and W.E.B. du bois, 1892-1940. History of Education
Quarterly, 47(4), 416-446. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login? url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/237057303? accountid=12085
Campbell, C., & Sherington, G. (2006). A Genealogy of an Australian System of
Comprehensive High Schools: The Contribution of Educational Progressivism to the
One Best Form of Universal Secondary Education (1900–1940). Paedagogica
Historica,42(1-2), 191-210. doi:10.1080/00309230600552120
Golestani, S. H., & Takhtfouladi, M. A. (2014). Position and role of teacher in education from
perspective of idealism and pragmatism. Advances in Environmental Biology . Retrieved
May 8, 2017.
Gutek, G. L. (1995). A history of the Western educational experience. Prospect Heights, IL:
Waveland Press.
Putnam, H. (2016). Realism. Philosophy & Social Criticism,42(2). Retrieved May 6, 2017.
Slavin, R. E. (2015). Educational Psychology: theory and practice. New Jersey: Pearson.
Tubbs, N. (2013). Existentialism and humanism: Humanity--know thyself! Studies in
Philosophy and Education, 32(5), 477-490.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1007/s11217- 012-9354-z
Van Brummelon, H. (2009). Walking with God in the classroom: Christian approaches
to learning and teaching. Colorado Springs, CO: Purposeful Design
Publications..
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: EDUCATION FOR
ALL
