Philosophy of Education Examples: Insights into a Prospective Teacher’s Philosophy

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do," by Steve Jobs (Pollock, n.d.). First off, as a teacher, do you love what you do? Why do you do what you do? According to Ms. Jessica, a teacher at the Concordia University of Portland, she does what she does - teach - and she "loves" what she does because sometimes, she knows that she is the only person in a child's life whom he or she can trust (Fulcher, 2017). On the other hand, as it is commonly discussed nowadays amongst teachers, they do what they do because it was the only available job, or because they simply had to.

Literally, one's definition of whether or not he or she loves what he or she does depends on personal feelings, visions and goals. In other words, if one does not love, has no vision or expected goals of what his or her aim is for education – and for the students - the outcome will probably be uninterested or unmotivated students, or merely unintentional teachers. Furthermore, teachers are the key components of a student's academic journey, and student success is the primary key of education.

Intentional teachers are they who are able to personally connect with their students (persistently pushing them to reach their full potential), know their students' personalities, interests and learning styles (identifying how these factors can be merged or utilized to better accommodate the student), and discipline their students (building good character), thus everything that I hope to emphasize when I become a teacher.

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As a prospective educator, I aim to build a personal connection (teacher-student relationship) with my students. Just as being in a relationship with someone cannot work without communication, student growth will not be thoroughly accomplished without a solid relationship with the teacher. Strong relationships between a teacher and his or her students can allow the teacher to have the following results: "have a substantial impact on academic success by allowing students to be more open to learning", "overcome many behavioral issues by helping students feel like they are part of a group", "make the students recognize the value in their work", and "allow the students to grow in all ways (spiritual and physical) other than academic" (Kirby Hall School, 2017).

This will also allow the teachers to emphasize on the awareness and the importance of diversity. For example, when a student from a different nationality enters my class, I will have to get to know (build a teacher-student relationship) his or her language and traditions, and somehow integrate it in class discussions. In this way, this student will feel appreciated, belonged, and perhaps will then perceive me as a partner rather than an adversary, leading to him or her being more open to learning - as previously stated. Moreover, building a stronger relationship with my students can also mean having them see how much I want what's best for them, leading them to value their work and grow as individuals - possibly leading to them being effective members of a society.

In addition, as previously implied, part of my philosophy of education emphasizes being an intentional teacher in a way that I will prioritize merging student personalities - or interests - with his or her level of learning to reach student potential. According to William Powell and Ochan Kusuma-Powell (2011), knowing your students' interests and levels of learning allows you, as a teacher, to create a psychologically safe environment for all of the students (as proposed in Maslow's hierarchy of human needs), determine each student's readiness for learning (whether or not they have learned all of the pre-requisites), identify multiple access points to the curriculum to increase engagement and success (connecting the lesson to possible, real life experiences), and develop and demonstrate greater emotional intelligence in the classroom (being flexible and showing empathy and patience).

Moreover, during my years of tutoring, I have realized that each student has a learning style. Getting to know the student and his or her learning style to ensure that he or she is able to understand the subject should part of the lesson goal, thus teacher's vision. Apparently, getting to know the student includes finding out about the student's emotional well-being. As a result, my role will be to offer and to maintain a strong support system, to simply encourage them to do the best they can, and to accurately create lessons that impact information in a way that allows the students to interestingly and successfully understand the subject.

All in all, I aspire students who will be able to think critically, be able to work independently and in groups, be able to speak and write well, and persevere. Furthermore, I aim to discipline and build character amongst and within my (as aprospective educator) students. To many teachers (including a prospective one like me) building character means incorporating values, emotional maturity, and a sense of responsibility in the students. For instance, when teaching, I should encourage good behavior by emphasizing rules and consequences. This will not only discourage the possible occurrence or repetition of a bad behavior (talking when the teacher is talking), but it will also permit the student to be grow as a learner, portray responsible behaviors (being quiet when the teacher is talking) instead.

Once the student is able to do the following: value his or her education, handle difficult situations (such as dealing with a classmate with a behavioral problem), and be responsible (good decision-making skills, such as choosing to complete the homework on time and every day), the teacher will have attained this important aim or philosophy of education. Moreover, after reading these previous explanations, do you still love what you do as a teacher? Hopefully!

Reversed to when I was a young student, I remember my dad telling me that he sees me as a teacher when I grow up. I deviated from this vision during my high school and first two years of college. Now, with partial knowledge from my tutoring experiences, and attained knowledge from each of my former and current instructors, my view and understanding of education and teaching have shifted.

As stated by a former U.S. Representative, Solomon Ortiz, "Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students" ("Brainy Quote", 2017). I hope to share the lessons that I have learned, and will continue to learn, to encourage my students that the sky is the limit. "Education is the key to success" is what most teachers always say. I agree! However, being intentional teachers is the key to successful education. A student cannot succeed on his or her own.

In other words, a student cannot succeed without a teacher's - whether it be a certified teacher or a stay-at-home parent - guidance. A student cannot simply grow in every way without an intentional teachers' efforts, and other crucial factor's such as the district, school, and parent support. Therefore, it is extremely important for the principal, the faculty, the parents, the counselors, the community, and each district representative to collaborate to create a safe and productive learning environment for the students. Moreover, intentional teachers provide the students with the fundamental tools needed to become confident and knowledgeable citizens.

As commonly said, "teachers are unsung heroes". Now, as current teachers, why do you do what you do? Do you love what you do? I, for one, can proclaim that I do what I do now - enjoying and appreciating it at the same time - to become an intentional teacher. Therefore, being an intentional teacher, creating an inspiring and safe learning environment, making the students feel safe and interested, providing students with high quality instructions, providing and sustaining a possibly, strong support system, and most importantly leaving a legacy that the students will always remember are all part of my goals as an educator, thus my vision of education - educational philosophy.

References

1. Fulcher, E. (2017). Motivate, encourage and inspire: teachers share the reasons why they teach. Concordia University, Portland. Retrieved from https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/teacher-recognition/why-i-teach/
2. Kirby Hall School. (2017). The importance of positive teacher-student relationships. Retrieved from https://www.kirbyhallschool.org/the-importance-of-positive-teacher-studentrelationships/
3. Pollock, M. D., (n.d.). Inspirational quotes about loving your work. Retrieved from https://www.michaeldpollock.com/inspiring-quotes-work-you-love/
4. Powell, W. and Kusuma-Powell, O. (2011). Chapter.1: knowing our students as learners. ASCD. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/111011/chapters/Knowing-Our- Students-as-Learners.aspx

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