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Nadya Johnson

Professor Leesa Leonard

Education 1010

June 9, 2019

Assignment 5

A personal philosophy of education is important because it guides your instructional

decisions and specifies criteria you can use to reflect on and analyze your teachings. It also helps

you explain and defend your educational goals for your students and increases your

professionalism by providing a concrete frame of reference for both action and reflection.

I believe that a good learning environment is one in which the student feels safe and

comfortable in order for that student to learn and grow. In order to have that safe and

comfortable environment for the student, the student needs to feel like it is a positive and

enjoyable place where they can strive.

When I took the ISM philosophy test, it told me that I was Social Reconstructionism

meaning that I believe that schools, teachers, and students should take the lead in addressing

social problems and improving society. In our textbook, it also states that social

reconstructionism is also related to social justice which is a movement in education that

emphasizes human rights, fairness, and equity in the opportunities available to all members of

society. When we are talking about how the students need to feel comfortable and safe in a

school environment, aren’t we basically saying that the school and teachers and students are

responsible in making that happen?

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I think that social reconstructionism is really a controversial topic because some claim

that emphasis on social justice is socialist and advocates property and wealth distribution

according to our textbook. Our textbook continues and states that conservative critics also argue

that social reconstructionist have abandoned intellectual pursuits in schools an instead are using

schools for political purposes. Others say that social justice is nothing more than good teaching

that makes students aware of the plights of others and examines ways to make the world more-

equitable and fair.

What is the purpose of education? The main purpose of education is to provide the fullest

possible development of each student for living morally, creatively, and productively in a

democratic society. Leaning how to learn is also another purpose of education. Educators need to

teach their students how to find the information they have been taught once they leave school

and find answers to any questions or unsolved problems. I believe that educators need to teach

their kids the importance of being a student and learning as much as they can while they are in

school because once they are out it is a different ball game.

My beliefs about how children learn are probably different than someone else’s. I think

that children learn off of other children because that way, they are feeding off of each-others

ideas and really get a different perspective on the situation. I believe that you can learn a lot from

the other peers because some think alike and some don’t. I think that it the beauty of having a

diverse classroom. Not everyone will learn the same way. Some will like to do work on their

own pace, some like group work, and some like to do one on one sessions because that is just

how they like to learn. I know for me in school, I always loved doing group work because I

could feed off of my classmates ideas and get a different perspective on the situation and it

opened up my eyes more than I thought could be possible about one little situation. I know that
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educators have their own opinions about how children learn and that is okay, but I don’t think

that my beliefs will affect my teaching because I will teach the way my students prefer but of

course follow the curriculum. This ties back to the beginning statement where I said that students

need to feel safe and comfortable in order to learn.

I would like to have a friendly relationship with the community, parents, colleagues and

administration. I want to create a professional but fun environment where we all can strive and

get feedback so I can make changes if needed. I would also like to have a good relationship with

the student parents because I want them to be part of their children’s learning growth and set

back and I think it is very important to have the parents involved at home with the homework. In

my classroom, I want every student to feel safe and comfortable with learning and striving for

excellence.

In conclusion, I believe that if the student feels safe and comfortable in the environment,

the student will learn and achieve their goals. I also believe that if the parents are involved in the

students homework, It will also help the student thrive and learn more outside of school and

would encourage all parents to get involved in their students learning. Students learn in different

ways and that is great, as long as they are learning and thriving, it doesn’t matter which way they

are learning or not.

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Reference:
Kauchak, D. P., & Eggen, P. D. (2005). Test bank to accompany Introduction to teaching:
Becoming a professional. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.