Lauren Batucal

LBS 400
Professor Lopez
Philosophy of Education
There are many people out there who may have known they wanted to be teachers
since they were kids; however, that is not the case for me. At one point I decided on a
career in the medical field, but not too long after I knew I was studying for the wrong
profession. Luckily, I had a conversation with my brother that changed my life. He was
the one that actually suggested how great I would be as a teacher. I remember discussing
with him my doubts of the profession, but my brother told me that if I can imagine myself
doing this for the rest of my life then I should at least consider it. I dont think I have ever
told him that his little act of encouragement eventually helped me realize that I do want to
pursue a career in education. I have been studying education for quite some time now,
and I have developed very strong opinions on a few topics. So with that, this is what
education means to me.
I believe the purpose of education is to teach students what they need in order to
become successful in everything that they set out to do. We educate children because it is
extremely important to prepare students for what life and society has in store for them.
And I believe that education is one of the main things that will prepare students for their
future as adults. According to Oakes and Lipton (2003), Thomas Jefferson argued that
one of the roles of a public school is to secure democracy (p.2). They also mention that
Jefferson believed that the government should provide children with three years of
schooling in order to help prepare them for citizenship (p.2). Education has been around
for many years, and it has changed tremendously. Of course students need more than just

three years of schooling, but one of the things that hasnt changed is how education will
help prepare students for citizenship. Without an education, students would not be able to
reach their full potential. Education gives the opportunity for students to prepare for life
as proper citizens of society. As a teacher, I want to make sure that my students will have
a bright future ahead of them. I would help provide them with everything they need
because education is definitely one of those key things for a successful future.
From my own experience, I am positive that children learn best under certain
conditions. When it comes to a learning environment, I feel it is important that students
feel welcomed and safe. I am determined to try and keep my classroom clean and
organized because since I work best under those conditions, my students will learn their
best under those conditions. However, there is more to teaching than trying to keep your
whole classroom spotless. According to Bransford, Darling- Hammond, and LePage
(2005), teachers who know how to structure activities well, manage learning time well,
and know exactly what to give the students in order to succeed are the teachers who have
an effective learning environment (p.37). It is no secret that life in an elementary school
classroom can be chaos. Sometimes it will be impossible to keep the students organized,
let alone the entire classroom. I do believe that a teacher who is aware that things can go
crazy, but who is also able to work with the craziness is a pretty great teacher. That is
why I love this quote so much because it reveals the little things that teachers do that
really helps create a successful classroom. I do believe that children learn best when their
teacher is just as motivated and inspired about learning as students should be. A teacher
that goes beyond just teaching content would surely be a key tool as to how children learn
best, that is the kind of teacher that I aspire to be one day.

One of the biggest challenges I think teachers face in a classroom is addressing

equity and diversity. In order to address some of these issues, I would certainly make sure
all of my students know that every single culture is all of equal importance. I know it
would be difficult to teach all the many different cultures in just one class year, but I
would absolutely pull in as much information as I can into any of my lesson plans. I feel
that the main goal of a teacher when it comes to social justice is to encourage and help
students to understand that everyone is different, and it is important to respect one
another no matter where you or where anyone else comes from. According to Hackman
(2008), the goal of social justice in education is the full participation of all groups in
society that is mutually shaped in order to meet their needs (p.1). In my classroom, I
will help students to learn and to be aware that all students have an equal chance to
succeed in anything they aspire to do.
It is no secret that education will continue to change. The most recent change is
the transition into the Common Core State Standards. One of reasons for this
modification is solely for the success of the students. The Common Core State Standards
will help guide teachers in building a strong and effective curriculum for their classroom.
The most effective teachers are the ones who are willing to do more than to teach their
students the content. These successful teachers know exactly what to teach their students
in order for them to excel inside the classroom. Sometimes it is not enough for students to
just know the content, successful students have the knowledge and the skills that cannot
be taught just from a simple lecture. These qualities are developed over time with all the
right resources of education. According to Wilson and Peterson (2006), it is significant
for students to develop flexible understanding that include, basic and conceptual

knowledge, and they need to know how to use that knowledge critically (p.1). They also
go on to mention that the students need opportunities to learn in multiple ways (p.4). My
number one goal as a teacher has always been to teach what students need to be
successful in life. But after learning about how it takes much more than teaching the bare
minimum to students, I am determined to teach beyond that, just like any other great
teacher. I just hope that by the time my students leave my class at the end of the year,
they leave with knowledge that will help them strive to be the best version of themselves.
One of the things I have learned so far is that teaching is absolutely not an easy
job. Every time I tell someone that I want to be a teacher, I always get the same reaction
and they always wish me good luck. I am glad some people actually know that teaching
is difficult, but some people dont know just how hard teaching could really be, and that
is okay. One of my favorite quotes from Bransford, Darling- Hammond, and LePage
(2005), there is no single cookie cutter formula for being successful (p.5). In other
words, there is no one secret and successful way to become a great teacher. And even
though that is unfortunate, it also gives you a chance to try and figure it out on your own.
I know that this job will not always be easy, and there will be times where it will be
overwhelming. And in those difficult moments I know I for a fact that I will never regret
becoming a teacher. Teaching gives most people what some other professions cant; it
gives teachers a chance to give their students hope if no one else could. To be able to give
a student a little act of encouragement that might change their life is what I look forward
to most as a teacher. And even though I will one day become the teacher, I know I will
always be the one learning something new every day.

References
Bransford, J., Darling- Hammond, L., and LePage, P. (2005). Introduction. In L. DarlingHammond, L., & J. Bransford (Eds.), Preparing teachers for a changing world:
What teachers should learn and be able to do. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass.

Hackman, Heather. (2008). Five essential components for social justice education.
Equity & excellence in education. University of Massachusetts: Taylor & Francis.

Oakes, J., & Lipton, M. (2003). Teaching to change the world (3rd ed,). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.

Wilson, S.M. & Peterson, P. L. (2006). Theories of learning and teaching what do they
mean for educators? Washington, DC: National Education Association.