Educational Philosophy

My educational philosophy is shaped based on the theories of Neil Fleming, Colleen

Mills, Benjamin Bloom, and Lev Vygotsky. I believe that students achieve and learn the best
when they receive instruction tailored to their learning style and have the foundation needed to
achieve higher level thinking. I also believe that education is more than just academics. It
includes the social development and growth of students.
Based on my own experiences and observations, learning is most efficient and
meaningful when instruction is tailored to a students learning style. A students learning style
can be thought of as a language. It is more challenging for the student to learn when the teaching
or instruction is not done in the language they understand best, their learning style. It is even
more important that a student understands his or her own learning style. Fleming and Mills state
...teaching programs should involve empowering students through knowledge of their own
learning styles to adjust their learning behavior to the learning programs they encounter (To
Improve the Academy, 1992). As a teacher, I need to be familiar with each learning style and
understand how each of my students learn in order to teach them in the best way possible. I will
also encourage each student to be familiar with their own learning style so that they can help
themself learn in the most beneficial way.
In order for students to gain higher level thinking, they need to master lower level
thinking first. This becomes the foundation for all of the knowledge they learn in the future. It is
difficult to build on top a foundation if it is weak or nonexistent. Blooms Taxonomy classifies
thinking into six levels of cognitive complexity with three lower levels and three high levels
(Blooms Taxonomy (Bloom)). It is believed that in order for a student to successfully learn the
higher levels, they must master the three lower levels first. It is my job as a teacher to help
students create that strong foundation so that they can learn the higher level knowledge and
thinking that they will need for the future.
Lastly, education should not only focus on academics. A large part of it is the growth and
social development of the students. Vygotsky believed that social interaction plays a fundamental
role in the process of cognitive development (Social Development Theory (Vygotsky)). Part of my
role as a teacher is to create an environment that fosters the right social interactions to help each
student grow as a person.
As a future teacher, I will incorporate this philosophy and these educational theories into
my teaching. Students should be taught in the way they respond to the best in order to master
each unit of learning. I will not only foster the students academic learning but care for them in
all aspects so that each of them grow socially and develop into a well-rounded person.

References

Bloom's Taxonomy (Bloom) - Learning Theories. (2014). Retrieved July 21, 2016, from
http://www.learning-theories.com/blooms-taxonomy-bloom.html
Fleming, N., & Mills, C. (1992). Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection. In To
Improve the Academy (Vol. 11). Retrieved July 21, 2016, from http://www.vark-learn.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/08/not_another_inventory.pdf

Learning Theory. (2013, April 30). Retrieved July 21, 2016, from
http://cmapspublic3.ihmc.us/rid=1LNV3H2J9-HWSVMQ-13LH/Learning Theory.cmap

Social Development Theory (Vygotsky). (2014). Retrieved July 21, 2016, from
http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html