Philosophy of Education

By: Courtney Williams

One of the most effective ways of any educator to succeed, is to have a strong philosophy of
education. This set of ideas and beliefs provides the information one will need to not only effectively
conduct a class, but manage one as well. As with everything in education, a philosophy should be
adaptable and ever changing. As an effective educator, you should always be willing to develop new
ways of teaching and interacting not only with your students, but with colleagues and the community as
well.
When working with children, learning does not begin when the child enters the official
education system. True learning starts at home with the parents. Many people argue that teachers are
the educators of children, when in reality teachers only build on what the parents have begun at home.
Confidence, truthfulness, respect, and manners are all taught by parents; because of this, parents need
to stay involved throughout their childs educational career to help encourage and ensure success. Ways
in which parents can accomplish this is by talking to children about homework, exams, and general
success or trials they are having in school. Some of the best ways for parents to be there for their
children, is to support and encourage; attempt to help them with problems not only faced in life outside
of but in school as well; giving them prudent and appropriate advice; and remaining strong as a family
unit. One of the reasons that I have noticed as to why some of my students dont succeed in class, is due
to a lack of family structure and support from the home.
Only when students reach school age, do teachers step in to play a big role in the education the
students are receiving. The teacher is not only responsible for teaching the curriculum required but to
also ensure that life lessons are being taught and retained by the students. In teaching outside of the
curriculum, teachers are able to help prepare their students for life outside of school, in hopes the
students excel. One of the main responsibilities of a teacher is to push their students to achieve
greatness. Many teachers become confidants of students and are active members in a students life if
that student has no one else they can count on. Due to the relationships that are fostered between
students and their teachers, teachers become important role models. As a role model, proving to the
students that you truly care and are there for them is important. Teachers should not only be
knowledgeable in their field, but should also be able to relate on a social level to their students. By
proving to students that they truly care about their success, teachers can point them in the right
direction needed to succeed in life. The level of dedication shown by teachers, in turn shows the parents
how much their child looks up to them for wisdom and guidance. All of these factors combined can help
ignite an understanding and want for the parents to become more involved in their childs education,
rather than missing out on key factors of the students life.
The objective of schools, other than to teach students, is to offer a safe environment for them.
Parents need to be reassured and have comfort that their kids are not only enhancing their education,
but learning life and social skills in a safe place. Some parents look at schools as a free daycare for
children during the day, but schools are so much more than that. They offer children of all ages a place
for opportunity, change, and to simply be themselves. Administrators show the importance of
leadership, management, and disciplinary actions within a school. If administrators do their jobs
effectively, this also gives the students one more person to look up to as a good leader, especially when
they couple the effectiveness of their job with a care for the students and their well-being.
In the classroom, teachers need to be extremely knowledgeable with the material that they will
be presenting, as well as with classroom management. An effective teacher finds ways to effectively
communicate with every student, as well as differentiating instruction to ensure the success of every
student in the class. One of the main ways that teachers are able to do this is with the use of technology.
Education has been able to move outside lecture and PowerPoint only classes, to using smart boards,
visually graphic presentations, and more hands-on projects. This not only increases the want to learn,
but teaches students to work effectively as an individual as well as collaboratively. Assigning homework
 Philosophy of Education
By: Courtney Williams

to students is a way that educators in every grade can gauge their students retention of the subject
matter and ensure that they are studying the material outside of class as well as in class.
Overall, education is not merely based around the teachers and a classroom. Parents,
administrators, and the community all play vital roles in the success of a students educational career. In
order to be successful throughout life, a strong support system is needed for everyone. If ran effectively
and efficiently, schools and the community surrounding them give the students the support needed to
ensure educational success. Just as all students are different, no teacher teaches the same way.
Everyone in the field has found, through experience and trial and error, the teaching method that best
fits them and the classroom environment they want to have. The landmark of an effective teacher, is
that they are willing to grow with society and alter their methods and the learning environment to
increase the fun and willingness to learn for everyone.