PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT Philosophy Statement 1

Philosophy Statement
Hall, Jamie
EDUC 201
Foundations of Education
Professor: Egbert
PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT Philosophy Statement 2


Philosophy Statement
Different philosophies are taught every day in schools all across America. The
philosophies that are taught to us in the book, (Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressivism, and
Social Reconstructionism) are only the main philosophies taught. In order to develop a personal
teaching philosophy, you must learn through personal experience over time.
The philosophies in the book that best describes my personality are Essentialism and
Progressivism. There are aspects within these philosophies that are relevant such as needing to
acquire the basic skills needed to function in todays world, and being able to develop problem
solving skills, decision making skills, and other life skills. I believe these are both very
important. You need to be able to have real world knowledge before you can function in the real
world. To function in the real world one must be able to problem solve. These two philosophies
go hand in hand.
According to my philosophical beliefs, all schools should teach children how to function
in the real world. The schools should also teach them how to develop the problem solving skills
to use while dealing with real life situations. This would allow students to grow into well-
rounded, knowledgeable, and productive members of society. The Essentialism philosophy states
that students will need certain skills to survive in the real world. Simple skills such as reading,
writing, math, etc. will be necessary.
The teachers role is to help students master a body of skills and knowledge. This means
that the teacher should play a central role in directing classes to help students acquire these
skills (pg.155). However, it is the students job to work hard in understanding these skills by
practicing them through assignments and participating in class discussions and activities.
PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT Philosophy Statement 3

According to the Progressivism philosophy the teacher should specifically focus on real world
issues and real world skills needed to deal with these issues.
I learn best by real life experiences, visuals, and in class discussion. I have discovered
certain concepts about my learning styles, and they include group discussions, hands-on projects
that are done in groups, minimal lectures, and exams over the material. This should be partially
decided by the student, due to their interests and partially by the teacher, due to her curriculum.
This is stated in the Essentialism philosophy and the Progressivism philosophy.
Philosophy is highly important because it opens up ways to base ideas of how to teach
our students around our own personal beliefs. Therefore, the Essentialism philosophy and the
Progressivism philosophy or certain aspects of several are important to the governance of my
life.