Personal Philosophy of Education

Personal Philosophy of Education

Lisa Barfield-McCarty

EDU 360: Philosophy of Education

October 14, 2010

Personal Philosophy of Education

                Several factors, including a person’s overall world view and value system as well as their own experiences and developed societal perceptions about individual roles and responsibilities, contribute to an individual’s personal philosophy of education. Therefore, a personal philosophy of education will be built from and reflect an individual’s personal belief system. This philosophy will incorporate one’s views on things such as what duties should be fulfilled by the teacher and the student, what format student instruction should take, and what purposes an education system should serve. (Webb, 2010) In the following paragraphs, the personal philosophy of education which has been formed by the author of this paper will be presented and explained. 

            From the author’s perspective, the foundational years of education are most important in developing many necessary life skills such as critical thinking abilities, effective reasoning, empathy, and a sense of responsibility as well as self worth and confidence in one’s own abilities. Therefore, the earliest years of a child’s education provide a valuable set of building blocks for creating ongoing successes and future achievements in their life.  Of course, much of the child’s mental focus is dependent on their emotional self so a healthy support system within the home as well as without is quite helpful in working to create those ongoing successes. Becoming aware of possible disruptive issues early on can help to alleviate any future disturbances as well as help identify current areas of development which require special attention. For reasons such as these the grade levels of Pre-K through Grade Five are of particular significance and personal interest to the author. 

            The overall purpose of education should be to develop capable minds and necessary life skills while nurturing individual talents and abilities. Of course much of the reason for providing people with a good education which would produce such desired results is to create an ever evolving population capable of progressing and managing society in a proficient and steady manner. Most of the focus within the greater portion of the education system seems to be on developing capable minds only in particular areas or concentrations of study and life skills which only pertain to those particular areas. This leads to much untapped potential within individuals and can pose many problems for some when they are faced with circumstances that are unexpected or for which they are ill prepared for.  Meanwhile individual talents or special interests and abilities of students tend to be ignored or even brushed off as unimportant or considered detrimental to obtaining true success as a productive member of society. Another side effect to focusing on only a few academic and preparatory areas is that it tends to promote societal stagnation through the over-emphasis of existing systems within society without fostering or prompting new areas of growth or encouraging change to those systems in any fundamental way. 

            In college, critical thinking is generally encouraged as a necessary life skill to be valued in the work-force and in everyday life in general but in the twelve years of schooling that a person receives before college critical thinking seems to be discouraged in many ways. Rarely does it seem that there exist opportunities to express any form of thought beyond the black and white scripted answers that young people are expected to deliver in a school setting. The only time this tends to be acceptable in any form is through the course of certain elective subject classroom settings, and this may be due to their natural creative focus as well as the secondary importance they tend to be given. Such extracurricular offerings, though quite important and relevant, are actually the first to be cut whenever there is a funding issue. This is precisely because of the secondary regard they are given by administrations. (NLCI, 2006) But critical thinking is a skill that can be developed very early on and should be encouraged to promote lifelong achievements. Some of the personal qualities that can be nurtured through the early encouragement of this skill are capable decision making abilities, self-realization and confidence, effective reasoning abilities, open-mindedness and respect for others’ viewpoints, among many others. (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2009)

            There are several methods of teaching and educational philosophies which do encourage the use and strengthening of the student’s ability to think critically. The Montessori Method refers to an educational practice which was designed and developed by Dr. Maria Montessori during the early 1900’s that was based on her realization and understanding of how children learn. Through her research and observation, the doctor found that children are naturally inclined toward learning and adapting new information. Education, according to the doctor, is not something given to the student by the teacher but is rather a naturally occurring process brought on by spontaneous experience and environmental responses.  Her theory revolved around her belief that if the teacher offered little interference and instead offered the child motivating instruction with the freedom to explore possibilities then the child would remain open to analyze and interpret information according to their own environmental experiences and naturally occurring mental processes. The focal points of this type of instructional practice include motivational guidance of the student by the teacher, introduction of relevant cultural materials while fostering independence of thought, and preparing the learning environment in such a way that allows the child to fulfill their greatest potential on every level of being (physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally). What this produces within the child as they grow are things such as clarity of thought, respect for others and the environment, creative thought, practical problem solving skills, and a higher developed ability to contribute effectively and positively to society. (Stephenson, 2010)

 

            Along similar lines, other philosophies of education have been equally as popular and drawn from in order to help improve classroom structure, curriculum design, teaching methods, student assessment and more. John Dewey, a very influential philosopher of the twentieth century who wrote extensively on the subject of education, championed many educative ideas that included learning through experience and focus on the whole child rather than just on the mind. Although some would argue that Dewey’s educative philosophies were not necessarily child centered in their nature, they did in fact maintain a focus which was consistent with child-centeredness. The main distinction that can be made between Dewey’s theories of education and those of others similar to his is that the aim of democracy always took a central role in the construction of his ideas. Though democracy seems solely a political ideal, to Dewey it played a moral function in the education process and led to the overall democratic functioning of a well informed and managed society. (Hlebowitsh, 2006) This is not so different from the Montessori idea that culturally relevant ideals should be present in a child’s instruction to better prepare the child to function within their own society. After all, democracy is an important American (cultural) ideal that must be an integrated part of the American education process to ensure the ongoing functioning of the democratic society in which we purport to live.  Other similarities can be seen in how the philosophies each contain main ideas of freedom in the classroom setting to explore personal interests and express individual ideas. Each encourages critical thinking, cooperation, experiential learning, respect and tolerance, motivational instruction, and creating environments for learning which enhance a person’s natural inclinations toward self-fulfillment through education. 

            There are many advantages to constructing and maintaining classroom settings which concentrate on such ideas as those mentioned here. For one thing, children learn to interact with their peers in a cooperative manner rather than in a competitive one. This is not to say that some competition is not useful or desired in certain respects, but in the larger number of school settings in this country competition is a major focus in every aspect of school life and this spills over into every other area of interaction for children brought up in these environments. This can be detrimental in a number of ways, from the child’s overall self-concept to how they learn to deal with their relationships with other people throughout their life. And depending on how successful they are in those dealings, they will either learn to interact with a sense of comradery and winning expectations or with a sense of fight or flight struggle and expectations of being viewed by others as less than capable in fulfilling their common or independent goals. In great contrast, children who learn to identify well with others no matter what side of an issue they stand on, and who learn to cooperate effectively with others early on, will continue to utilize such attitudes and behaviors in their dealings with other people throughout life.  Another great advantage to utilizing child-centered philosophies in education that focus on natural learning curves, individual interests and strengths, and providing an environment which promotes democratic dealings as well as the examination of contrasting ideas, is that it offers children more of an opportunity to explore their own capabilities and understand what they are being taught more completely. And, through experimentation and hands on learning activities, not only is a greater understanding of ideas developed but also the ability to apply what has been learned to future circumstances and dealings within society. 

            Some of the choices currently available in childhood education which offer the type of educational environment being discussed here include certain holistically guided alternative schools, charter schools, and home schooling options. When a teaching method or environment is considered holistic it implies that each child is motivated to learn and find meaning or purpose in their studies through their connection to each other and their environment, while it also implies that learning takes place on multiple levels of the child’s being (i.e. mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual). When looking in to alternative education models the holistic mindset will be present in those options which possess the qualities spoken of and endorsed throughout this paper. These types of alternative school options are not available everywhere in the United States and are in fact quite difficult to come by in some portions of the country. Charter schools are perhaps more commonly recognized, but not all of them promote or distinguish themselves by such standards or ideologies as those that are referenced and presented here. 

Charter schools are generally created by people within a community in response to some need or wish to separate from the main public school system in some way, and by doing so they gain greater autonomy or self-governance and freedom from certain crippling or distracting regulations that public schools must adhere to. Of course, to remain operational as a charter which grants to them particular public funding opportunities and title association, they must remain solely accountable for their student’s academic level of achievement. The benefits in creating charters are many and include the ability to offer an alternative non-sectarian public school option to the residents of a particular area, the ability to utilize or integrate innovative or alternative teaching methods and curriculum design models, and the ability to allow greater participation from parents. However, there are some disadvantages which include the fact that they may be accountable to more groups or entities than their traditional counterparts are and that they may be more limited in the number of students they are able to take in which may make entrance into such schools a difficult process for many. In fact, lotteries are often held for students seeking admittance into one of these schools in various areas. Charter school laws vary from state to state and may pose differing issues accordingly. (WestEd, 2000)

            One very good example of a charter school utilizing holistic philosophies and operating with like ideals to those mentioned here is that of Hilltown Cooperative Charter School in Haydenville, Massachusetts. Taking a child-centered approach and implementing a vision that clearly includes the integration of personal interests and natural inclinations into the core curriculum provided as well as encouraging participation and cooperation among all those involved, they have successfully demonstrated the value and usefulness of such an approach. Teachers keep track of creative competencies through the use of student portfolios and regularly collected data regarding performance, behavior, interests, achievements, and abilities. Staff is able to assess student achievements based on both state required assessment tools and teacher defined and developed methods of assessment. Parents are frequently involved in the assessment and goal setting process of which the student also takes part where appropriate. The school seeks to create an environment which encourages social cooperation through the use of group projects and activities, mixed-age interactions, community service events, and maintaining a focus on connections and support within the school environment and in the greater community. (Holloway-Bidwell, 2002)

            Many schools which fall under the label of alternative are specialized in focus and vary as far as funding options and practices. For instance, some are designed specifically for gifted students and these are oftentimes private schools which operate through a very particular application process and pay scale. Others are designed for youth who are considered to be at risk for one reason or another; perhaps they are displaying the types of behavior which suggest they may drop out of school and possibly they have significant issues or particular troubles such as teenage pregnancy, excessive truancy, or have been placed on probation or similar restrictions. These types of alternative schools are generally provided for qualifying students for free and funded by charitable organizations, the state, or the community itself. They may even operate on a sliding pay scale determined by what the guardians of each student is able to pay. Generally speaking however, these types of alternative schools are usually geared more toward older students of Jr. High or High school ages. There are other types of alternative schools too which are designed to be available to students who simply seek a different kind of classroom experience and these are generally considered private schools since they are funded privately by those who have children in attendance. Prices vary widely among these private schools as it depends on the kinds of accommodations and specific academic and recreational options available to students and families. 

            One example of the holistically guided type of alternative school would be the Nobel Learning Communities which is actually a network of nearly two hundred private schools located throughout the country which include several Montessori schools. These schools of course do have some variations regarding types of environment or concentration, but they each provide the centralized curriculum designed by the Nobel Learning Communities Education Department which focuses on individual learning styles and building necessary life skills.  Teachers are trained and prepared to provide instruction and assessment based on the core curriculum offered through these schools. They also offer extra after school and enrichment programs including summer camp zones, all dedicated to providing opportunities for family and community involvement as well as explorational and experiential learning. (NLCI, 2010)

 

            Schools such as those mentioned which focus on child-centeredness, holistic practices, and encouragement of necessary life skills such as critical thinking skills may not be widely accessible or always free to the public. They may not even be easy to get into, but they offer all the possibilities for exceptional growth in education that traditional schools tend to lack. Through individual attention, direct instruction, and a commitment to cooperative and innovative learning practices and specially designed curriculum, student improvement and success is achieved. By providing environments for learning which promote qualities of self-confidence, mutual respect, and effective reasoning, children are more likely to be self-sufficient and act appropriately and cooperatively. Because of this, they will also be less likely to display undesirable behaviors or succumb to poor choices that may lead to more troubling life circumstances. Therefore, these types of schools are precisely the kind of educative measures which appeal greatly to the author and provide inspiration for continuance in the field of education… particularly for the foundational years. It is strongly felt by the author that the teacher should act as a facilitator who is able to provide gentle yet sure guidance with the goal of helping the child reach his or her full potential. And, each child has a responsibility toward their own learning. Though, the more supportive and free the provided learning environment is the more potential that will ultimately be realized by the child.

References

 

Foundation for Critical Thinking. (2009). Defining Critical Thinking. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from Foundation for Critical Thinking: http://www.criticalthinking.org/aboutCT/define_critical_thinking.cfm

Hlebowitsh, P. S. (2006). John Dewey and the Idea of Experimentalism . Retrieved October 16, 2010, from Education and Culture, Vol.22.1: http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/education_and_culture/v022/22.1hlebowitsh.html

Holloway-Bidwell, K. (2002). Hilltown Cooperative Charter School: A Model of Holistic Education. Retrieved October 17, 2010, from Massachusetts Charter Public School Association: http://www.masscharterschools.org/wholeschool/docs/114/HCCS3.HTML

NLCI. (2006, March 15). Holistic Approach to Education Aims to Create ‘Life Learners’. Retrieved October 18, 2010, from Nobel Learning Communities, Inc.: http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/NLCI/0x0x45433/4ef7a026-53d7-4847-99a6-33f2c3077022/45433.pdf

NLCI. (2010). Nobel Learning Communities: Local Schools with an Outstanding National Curriculum. Retrieved October 18, 2010, from Nobel Learning Communities, Inc.: http://www.nobellearning.com/About-Nobel-Learning

Stephenson, S. M. (2010). The International Montessori Index. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from Montessori: http://www.montessori.edu/

Webb, L. M. (2010). Foundations of American Education (6th ed.). Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

WestEd. (2000). U.S. Charter Schools. Retrieved October 17, 2010, from WestEd: http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/index.htm