Statement of Educational Philosophy
Educational philosophy as a theoretical subject is something that I find fascinating. Tracing the path of philosophical thought throughout history, and its recent specific application particularly in the field of education is something that could consume a career, even a lifetime. The difficulty lies in grasping the many strands that make up educational philosophy and melding them into a cohesive personal teaching philosophy.
I can trace a similar personal development throughout the course of the Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education. I see in myself and my own thinking a progress from a traditional chalk and talk understanding of education (as I experienced myself) through to my current broad and encompassing view of the role of schools and teachers in the life of students and the wider community. This occurred by exposure to thinkers such as Art Pearl and Paulo Freire, discovery of organisations such as Rethinking Schools and the resources they provide, and the opportunity to explore and discover new understandings of how students learn and what research is finding about the best ways to engage students and teachers.
I believe that the central tenets of education should be a focus on respect and responsibility, diversity and inclusion, and equity and equality, and that such a focus would facilitate the best social and academic outcomes for all students. I certainly intend to use these as the core principles for my own teaching practice. If every member of the class feels valued, appreciated for their difference in experience and background, and that they are treated fairly then the conditions are optimised for everyone to perform at their best, teachers and students alike.
Upon reflection I have discovered the educational and learning theories that most align with my personal philosophy are those of Constructivism and Bloom’s revised taxonomy. Both encourage active student led learning and higher order thinking, which also meshes with theories of metacognition and an emphasis on critical thinking. I agree with Freire that students are not merely passive receptacles of teacher driven information, but that in order to give students the best education they must be guided and encouraged to acquire knowledge for themselves.
I also firmly believe that schools and teachers have a responsibility to expose students to issues in the wider world, and that in fact contextualising their academic material in this framework actually improves and deepens their understanding and outcomes. It is imperative, in my opinion, that students be taught to think and to think critically. This will not only serve them well in their education but will make them better citizens of the world - with the ability to be discerning consumers, intelligent voters and critical members of the global workforce.
I can trace a similar personal development throughout the course of the Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education. I see in myself and my own thinking a progress from a traditional chalk and talk understanding of education (as I experienced myself) through to my current broad and encompassing view of the role of schools and teachers in the life of students and the wider community. This occurred by exposure to thinkers such as Art Pearl and Paulo Freire, discovery of organisations such as Rethinking Schools and the resources they provide, and the opportunity to explore and discover new understandings of how students learn and what research is finding about the best ways to engage students and teachers.
I believe that the central tenets of education should be a focus on respect and responsibility, diversity and inclusion, and equity and equality, and that such a focus would facilitate the best social and academic outcomes for all students. I certainly intend to use these as the core principles for my own teaching practice. If every member of the class feels valued, appreciated for their difference in experience and background, and that they are treated fairly then the conditions are optimised for everyone to perform at their best, teachers and students alike.
Upon reflection I have discovered the educational and learning theories that most align with my personal philosophy are those of Constructivism and Bloom’s revised taxonomy. Both encourage active student led learning and higher order thinking, which also meshes with theories of metacognition and an emphasis on critical thinking. I agree with Freire that students are not merely passive receptacles of teacher driven information, but that in order to give students the best education they must be guided and encouraged to acquire knowledge for themselves.
I also firmly believe that schools and teachers have a responsibility to expose students to issues in the wider world, and that in fact contextualising their academic material in this framework actually improves and deepens their understanding and outcomes. It is imperative, in my opinion, that students be taught to think and to think critically. This will not only serve them well in their education but will make them better citizens of the world - with the ability to be discerning consumers, intelligent voters and critical members of the global workforce.
