THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF EDUCATION

Brazilian author and educator Paulo Freire describes effective education as a journey towards
humanization; a process through which both teacher and students discover what it looks like to
become more fully human.1 This discovery necessarily occurs through educational experiences
which require classroom participants to think hopefully, empathetically, and critically about all
aspects of life.
In my early twenties I spent a season working for a non-profit humanitarian organization whose
primary aim is to provide a holistic education to Africas vulnerable children. As a result of these
children receiving a well-rounded education, they are equipped to bring new life into their
communities. To date, literally hundreds of beneficiaries of these programs have graduated from
universities as young professionals, and have returned to their native neighbourhoods with the
tools needed to deliver entire populations from the oppressive affects of poverty and disease.
This is the hope-filled and humanizing power of education at its best. Through my experiences
with this organization, I was able to witness firsthand the fullness of life that is discovered when
education is provided to the least of these.2 This then is the primary purpose of education: to
guide students into discovering and subsequently utilizing their voice to improve upon the state
of their society.

MY MISSION AS AN EDUCATOR
As an educator, this is my primary aim: to lead students on a journey of discovering more fully
who they are so they can contribute to humanitys quest towards becoming more fully human. It
is a deeply hope-filled and potentially utopian target, but I believe it is attainable. My
pedagogical praxis will be informed by three primary ways of looking at the world which I hope
to pass on to my students. These vantage points, I believe, will provide students with a
comprehensive view of themselves, of others, and of the world at large. These perspectives,
which I hope to foster in my students are: (1) the capacity to view their personal narratives
through a lens of hope, (2) the capacity to regard others with a deep sense of empathy, and (3)
the capacity to contemplate the world and global events with a critical and action-oriented frame
of mind.
In order for students to understand their role in the broader world, it is important for them to be
familiar with their own story; where they have come from, where they are presently, and where
they are going. It is vital that students understand they have a role to play in the grander global
narrative, and as an educator, it is my aim to lead students in the process of discovering who
they are so that they can fully impact the world around them. Instilling a sense of hope for what
is to come in each student will be a primary aim in my approach to education.
If students are going to make a lasting impact on the world, it will be necessary for them to
develop a true sense of empathy. Through classroom discussion, instructional content, and
other educational activities, it is my goal to invite students into the experiences of others so that
they can recognize the vital role of empathy in shaping society.
Critical thinking skills are significant to 21st century citizenship. Not only is it my aim to challenge
students in the ways they think about and view the world, but I also believe that leading students
into acting on behalf of their convictions is a necessary companion to critical thinking. By
probing students to think deeply and critically about the world and their role within it, they will be
able to effectively leave an imprint on humanitys progress.

SCHOOL, TEACHER, AND STUDENT ROLES IN EDUCATION

The schools role in education is to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment for all
students. In these spaces, the transmission of cultural values, morals, and norms ought to be
the main agenda. Schools have the responsibility of housing students in their most formative
years as they develop both intellectually and socially. As such, school personnel must not take
their role of influencing younger generations lightly.
The role of the teacher is to provide sufficient educational experiences within the context of the
classroom community. As a facilitator of student learning, I will strive to provide a learning
environment in which students experience high levels of success and are intrinsically motivated
to take part in learning activities.
Students are not without their own responsibilities when it comes to their education. It is the role
of the student to participate in the educational experiences provided by the teacher, and to over
time take ownership for their own learning.

CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

There are two types of curriculum which must be intertwined for an effective educational
program to exist. The implicit curriculum influences students affective domains. Outcomes such
as an enriched understanding of the self are targeted by the implicit curriculum. The explicit
curriculum simply aims to guide students towards meeting outcomes articulated in government
mandated curriculum documents. Both of these types of curricula must influence one another,
and the effective teacher will commit himself to intentionally aligning the two in an effort to
implement a holistic curriculum.
Curriculum must also be informed by the real life events of teachers and students. While there
may be certain difficulties in applying algebraic concepts to real life scenarios, it is important
that each and every lesson be seasoned with a pinch of relevancy to the learners lives. As the
general curriculum outcome is to guide students into real life beyond the classroom, so their
education must provide real life learning within it.
Instruction too must be shaped by student needs, interests, and perspectives. In my classroom,
I will speak as clearly as I can using inclusive language, and will invite students to do the same,
so that a general sense of we is cultivated and learning experiences are viewed as shared,
communal experiences.
Classroom management will be the glue which holds our learning community together.
Ultimately, I believe that instruction, assessment, and management methods will systematically
affect one another3, and thus in my classroom I will strive to implement teaching and
assessment strategies that work to reinforce the management of our classroom.

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL

I strongly believe that the most effective education will happen in the home. As schools and
teachers operate in a loco parentis role, I will work diligently to bridge the gap between each
students home and school experiences. By connecting with family members, showing a
legitimate interest in a students lives, and teaching for life outside the classroom, I believe this
gap will be diminished. My classroom environment will also be qualified as invitational, and it is

my hope that parents and guardians feel welcome in their childs classroom as often as is
appropriate.

INDICATORS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING

In order to recognize the effectiveness of my teaching practices, I will use the following four
student actions as a litmus test to inform my pedagogy:
Students consistently ask higher level questions about course content and its
connections to their lives.
II. Students take ownership for their learning and behaviour.
III. Students demonstrate an understanding of curricular content based on
appropriately selected assessment methods.
IV. Students display acceptance and respect for views that are contrary to their own.
I.

CONCLUSION
Education cannot be isolated to the school or the classroom. It is not something that happens
Monday to Friday. It does not end with the reception of a diploma or a degree. It is ongoing. It
permeates all realms of life; at home, at school, and everywhere in between. As an educator, it
is my aim to connect the stuff of the classroom to the stuff of life, and to help students recognize
that the two are more closely related than they thought.

Freire, Paulo. 1970. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Herder and Herder. Page 41.

Language borrowed from the Gospel of Matthew.

Schindler, John. 2009. Transformative Classroom Management. Jossey-Bass. Page 201.