DEFINING YOUR EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY

An education philosophy defines your educational belief system. Your philosophy includes the principles and values you bring to your teaching and creates the foundation and framework from which your classroom decisions are made. Over the years, you may modify your philosophy to reflect a more matured teaching practice.

Your education philosophy should be an essential part of you portfolio. To write an educational philosophy, consider the following:

  • What inspired you to become a teacher?
  • What values and beliefs do you believe a teacher should try to possess?
  • What are your beliefs about students, learning, leaders, school systems and education in general?
  • What values and beliefs do you bring into the classroom today?

EXAMPLE OF AN EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY

I believe all students are capable of learning and that effective teachers can reach every student. Students should not be thought of as mindless people just waiting to be filled with knowledge by their teachers. Quite the opposite; students should be viewed as individuals who can contribute to the classroom, sharing and gaining knowledge from each other.

Teachers should guide students not lecture them. An education is not solely academic; the teacher must also educate her students mentally by teaching them the skills needed to solve problems and socially by teaching them the skills needed to communicate and work productively with others. Students must be able to function in the real world which not only requires academic knowledge but social skills as well. I believe teachers should not be alone in educating students but that parents, families and communities need to work together to support and enrich the lives of their children, who are the future.

The purpose of education is to enable students to become successful in their lives. We all view success differently and often the way we measure success is shallow and unfair. Teachers need to consider what is important to their students, what really matters to them and what will be most useful to them in the real world. The teacher must mesh this with the content requirement, not always as easy task. But I believe effective teachers do this every day. I think an effective teacher relates all learning to the real world and by doing so makes learning concrete and meaningful to students. – Joni Hauglid

A TEACHING STATEMENT

Occasionally teachers are expected to write a teaching statement. This essay details your pedagogy, methodology, goals, standards and reasons for teaching. Make your statement as concise as possible, being specific and avoiding too many extraneous details. Also, while you should talk about your goals as a whole, try emphasizing the goals you have for that specific position. Discuss the importance of education, the rewards of teaching and how you hope to impact the lives of your students. A teaching statement is an opportunity to make yourself stand out, so make sure you present yourself as a truly passionate and ambitious teacher.