Philosophy of Education
Michelle Jennings
My personal philosophy of education is based on two basic premises. The first is that all children can learn. The second premise is that while all children can learn, how they learn and the rate at which they learn are different for each individual. I must also add that, as a public educator, it is my duty to teach every child that walks through my classroom door. It is with the above two beliefs that children are educated in my classroom.
The purpose of education is to progress students academically, psychologically, socially and emotionally. I choose the term "progress" because that, in my opinion, is what the goal of the complete educational system should be. As we begin with students we should start with where each, individual child is and move them into a progressional fashion, every single year. By the time they reach the end mark of their twelvth grade year in education, students should reach the required outcomes necessary to continue on with further education or the work place. This seems a daunting task but as an educator, I believe that students will learn when they are personally and developmentally ready, given the adequate educational processes and strategies for their style of learning. If a running track record would exist and educators would utilize it efficiently, students could begin every educational year at their own, personal level.
The role for students, teachers and parents is the same, only in different fashions...engagement. Students should be taught and must be taught to be actively engaged in their own learning. Becomming lifelong learners is the goal for students. Teachers serve as engaged facilitators in this process. They are responsible for diagnosing student learning and creating the adequate procedures to reach the needed outcomes. As engaged facilitators, teachers become the connecting point between students and parents. Parents must be taught that they are the most influential foundation in a child's learning progress. If you visualize a triangle, you see three points. The three vertices make the triangle complete. When the parent point is less apparent in this three part team, the complete triangle is more difficult to achieve. It is not impossible but more difficult. The triangle becomes skewed and not as complete, or never fully completes. See figures 1.1 and 1.2 for an illustration. It is a team approach to progressing students to the desired outcome. Parents, students and teachers must work together. Educators work with families directly and indirectly. During these indirect times opportunities for connection take place. In the community educators must continue to work with families to build relationships. It's these times that relationships build, thus creating a stronger three part team as in figure 1.1.
Education is an amazing field. It encompasses so many elements. It is a scientific field requiring data on individuals and their learning. It is an artistic field, requiring the love of learning and the styles each indvidual takes to achieve learning goals. It is a field of interpersonal communications, as educators must constantly and consistently communicate effectively with students, parents, collegues and community members. It is a complex career...one not designed for just anybody. Thank goodness, though, I was designed for this wonderful field of engaging and facilitating others to learn.
Michelle Jennings
My personal philosophy of education is based on two basic premises. The first is that all children can learn. The second premise is that while all children can learn, how they learn and the rate at which they learn are different for each individual. I must also add that, as a public educator, it is my duty to teach every child that walks through my classroom door. It is with the above two beliefs that children are educated in my classroom.
The purpose of education is to progress students academically, psychologically, socially and emotionally. I choose the term "progress" because that, in my opinion, is what the goal of the complete educational system should be. As we begin with students we should start with where each, individual child is and move them into a progressional fashion, every single year. By the time they reach the end mark of their twelvth grade year in education, students should reach the required outcomes necessary to continue on with further education or the work place. This seems a daunting task but as an educator, I believe that students will learn when they are personally and developmentally ready, given the adequate educational processes and strategies for their style of learning. If a running track record would exist and educators would utilize it efficiently, students could begin every educational year at their own, personal level.
The role for students, teachers and parents is the same, only in different fashions...engagement. Students should be taught and must be taught to be actively engaged in their own learning. Becomming lifelong learners is the goal for students. Teachers serve as engaged facilitators in this process. They are responsible for diagnosing student learning and creating the adequate procedures to reach the needed outcomes. As engaged facilitators, teachers become the connecting point between students and parents. Parents must be taught that they are the most influential foundation in a child's learning progress. If you visualize a triangle, you see three points. The three vertices make the triangle complete. When the parent point is less apparent in this three part team, the complete triangle is more difficult to achieve. It is not impossible but more difficult. The triangle becomes skewed and not as complete, or never fully completes. See figures 1.1 and 1.2 for an illustration. It is a team approach to progressing students to the desired outcome. Parents, students and teachers must work together. Educators work with families directly and indirectly. During these indirect times opportunities for connection take place. In the community educators must continue to work with families to build relationships. It's these times that relationships build, thus creating a stronger three part team as in figure 1.1.
Education is an amazing field. It encompasses so many elements. It is a scientific field requiring data on individuals and their learning. It is an artistic field, requiring the love of learning and the styles each indvidual takes to achieve learning goals. It is a field of interpersonal communications, as educators must constantly and consistently communicate effectively with students, parents, collegues and community members. It is a complex career...one not designed for just anybody. Thank goodness, though, I was designed for this wonderful field of engaging and facilitating others to learn.