My philosophy of Education

Education is no longer about information and facts. It is no longer contained in books, or in theories or in journals. Education has ceased to be an external experience. It is not only about what others have to say and teach about certain ideas or a certain phenomenon. Education is about educating yourself, and learning from within. Nowadays it is more about experiencing and solving the puzzling situations around. Although too much is being stressed on the importance of education and the role of teacher nowadays, however they remain just theories. Teachers do not apply such strategies and methods that work in the best of the children, where they have to experience the situations to learn best from it. However teachers come to class, having prepared their lesson previously, explain it to the students by writing on the board, and reading from the book. In addition to solving exercises that are found in the book, just the way they are. This should not be what a teacher should do in class. 

I believe that education itself should be considered as an individual, since it is a unique experience for every student who enters a classroom. The teachers thus must fully comprehend the importance of their job. It is about more than just filling an 8hour/day job. In order for children to benefit the most from their experience in getting an education, the teacher has to work hard and set specific goals. These goals go beyond the context objectives that are found in books and in curriculums. Teachers are entrusted to with educating the youth, therefore they must work as professional as possible to facilitate the learning and academic growth. In addition, goals are not goals about academic learning only. They also should be about the morals and the values of the society that we wish to implement in our children. This way we would be providing quality learning, which is learning from books and learning from socializing (morals and values) in our classrooms, we would be providing these students all the tools and the skills that are necessary for the life outside the school walls, and prepare them for a successful life.

Education should be used to shape the characters of the students. In addition, we should use education as a way to develop enduring and lasting morals and principles of the society that we are living in, since each society has different values and morals from the other. It is up to the teachers to teach the importance of these values and goals. In addition, to show them their value and worth, for if, they do not meet these moral, values and the rules of the society there will be consequences.

In addition, one of the fundamental roles of education was for self-preservation. We seek to learn about what surrounds us, to learn better how to deal with them, control them, and to take certain precautions to ensure our survival and existence. Therefore, we should teach students how to study and learn from the materialistic world, and do experimentations to come to results that would help them in their daily life. This gain of knowledge would serve for the ultimate truth. Matter is not what is important, what is important is what it leads us to.

It is vital that teachers form strong relationship with their students. When a good relation is formed, they learn to trust them, and thus trust more what they are advising them. In addition, a good relation includes good communication with the students, allowing them to share ideas and negotiate tasks, builds a network of support. Students will learn how to interact with each others as well, and gain the social skills required to function and succeed in their daily lives. Educators should help students build self-esteem, which is the most important thing every child should have.

In order to accomplish these lofty goals, I think it is important first to establish a mutually respectful, honest rapport with students — a relationship in which communication is of the highest priority. Through this relationship, a fair, democratic environment based on trust and caring can be established in the classroom, making it possible to interact confidently and safely in an academic setting. Once this foundation is established, the educator has already accomplished a major goal: the ethical characteristics of equality; open, honest communication; and trust have been emphasized and put into practice without having to preach to students. Demonstrating these ethically correct behaviors in the classroom and expecting students to model them prepares them for adult interaction and survival in the future. These values and morals, in addition to rules set by society are what drives the society and the interaction between people. That is why it is important for the students to learn them in school. As school is the smaller society that prepares the students for the bigger society with how to deal with people.

Academic learning must begin with motivation, encouragement, and inspiration. Students must enjoy learning, and should be excited about coming to school. They should not see it as a way of punishment. They should have the passion for learning. This passion they gain it from their teachers. When teachers are passionate about their role, and are passionate about the subjects they teach, students see the sincerity in the teachers, and thus would themselves be passionate. Because a passionate teacher, who is serious about teaching the students the best would do anything to encourage the students to learn and have the best learning experience. Students deserve an educator's passion for both the subject at hand and learning as a whole. The teacher should arouse the students’ curiosity for learning. Therefore the teacher should engage the students in the class to help arouse their curiously and their motivation. When they feel they are part of the class, and are important in the class they will be encourage and inspired to learn more. This is active learning. The teacher must demonstrate enthusiasm and express confidence in the students' abilities to learn and be successful. Employing constructivist methods of teaching in one's classroom, forces students to take an active role in their education by making choices and assuming responsibility for intelligent inquiry and discovery. Teachers should help the students construct their own knowledge, by building it from their prior knowledge. Knowledge to be worthy and useful, should be learned by construction and should be practiced. When students practice what they learn, it sticks in their minds for a longer time, and they understand it better. Understanding should not, and definitely not be rote learning. Understanding is building, experiencing, and practicing the constructed knowledge.

Teachers should evaluate their lessons in accordance with what is found in the curriculum and according to the needs and the requirements of the students. They should see what is of worthy and of importance to learn and understand. They should seek useful and meaningful information that can relate to the students’ real lives outside the school walls. However not missing out on seeking the truth. We go to school to learn about our sense, and from our senses. We go to learn about ideas. My role as a teacher is to give children the tools with which to cultivate their own knowledge. I will present curriculum that involves the interests of the children and makes learning relevant to life. I will incorporate themes, units, projects, group work, and individual work in order to make children active learners. I would teach them how to be practical in their daily lives. I will tie learning into the world community to help children become caring and active members of society.

The teacher's role is to guide, and provide access to information rather than act as the primary source of information. The students' search for knowledge is met as they learn to find answers to their questions themselves. The search for the answer is more important than the answer itself. For students to construct knowledge, they need the opportunity to discover for themselves and practice skills in authentic situations. Teachers should help students to train their minds to use different strategies and methods in seeking the truth, and going beyond just the truth. Therefore, the role of the teacher is to help the students in developing, improving and using these strategies and methods, and help them evaluate which one is better to use in different cases.

I believe that each child has the ability to learn and has the right to a quality education. Every child has different learning styles and aptitudes; however, by having a personal relationship with every student, a teacher can give each an equal chance of success. All children should have the opportunity to learn from teachers who knowledgeable and professional in their work, both in their area of expertise and life. This should be regardless of gender, race, and capabilities. The teacher should recognize each student's potential and capacity, and thus have certain learning styles with individualized goals for each one differently. The teacher should thus accommodate personal needs and abilities of each student for all of them to attain the same level of knowledge and learning.

Teaching provides an opportunity for continual learning and growth. Students will have the passion to continue learning beyond the class. One of my hopes as an educator is to instill the love of learning in my students, as I share my own passion for learning with them. I feel there is a need for compassionate, strong, and dedicated individuals who are excited about working with children.

            Choosing to become a teacher is not the easiest choice, as it is not the easiest job to perform. It needs devotion, and commitment in improving and upgrading your skills and knowledge as you go along the road, as well as, the ability to deal with a diversity of students. However, I have made the commitment to myself and my future students to strive to be the best academic, personal, and ethical role model I can be. It is my goal to have a mutually enriching teaching career by keeping an open mind and continually communicating with my peers and students. I will be what I want the students to come out to be.