Philosophy of Education

As a future educator, I have a humanist and progressivist style of teaching. Humanism focuses on the whole child and individualized learning so the student can reach his or her full potential. Progressivism is the theory that education should be centered on the student’s interests, and the school’s should facilitate individual discovery of student’s personal passions and beliefs. By combining humanism and progressivism, my teaching style focuses on whole child and individualized learning that is centered on a child’s interests, allowing them to grow and become knowledgeable in areas they are passionate about, as well as engage more in learning.

 

Educating students is like lighting a candle or igniting a spark. As William Butler Yeats expresses, “teaching is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Education should be centered on igniting passions and beliefs in students. A student’s education should be adapted to engage passions with learning. By doing this, students are able to reach their full potential. As a teacher, being the person to ignite fires in students and encourage them in their passions is one of the most important roles to have in a classroom.

 

I believe one of the most crucial perspectives a teacher can have is the whole child approach. Educating students by focusing of their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual well being engages the student in the best learning experience possible. If even one component of the whole child education is lacking, a student will not be able to reach his or her full potential in the education setting. As a future educator, I desire to encourage and facilitate my students to become the best version of themselves and engage in learning by centering their education around their interests.