Reflecting on my final portfolio I had written at university, I questioned myself once again, “What is my educational philosophy?” Are you ready, because I could go on and on and on.
My philosophy as an educator is to facilitate learning and encourage students to engage in a community of inquiry. I believe in eliminating the standardised ‘banking of education system’ and endorsing innovative, autonomous learners in a safe and encouraging environment.
Learning is about students using their metacognition to develop awareness and understanding of key concepts that are relevant and important to them. Additionally, students should be able to apply their critical thinking skills to respectfully question each other’s ideologies in order to gain deeper insight and understanding of social and cultural concern.
Critical thinking requires students to establish original ideas, explore concepts collaboratively and experiment through practice. Although critical thinking is mainly connected to an analysis of rules and regulations, creative thinking is associated with pushing boundaries to create new meaning. The community of inquiry requires both the student and teacher to critically reflect during the learning process, in order to question and transform meaning. Paulo Freire, a Brazilian philosopher, believed that without the concepts of praxis (practising and applying ideas) humans are not ‘makers of their way’ they merely become ‘what history makes of them’.
John Dewey, an American philosopher, once stated “the aim of education is the development of individuals to the utmost of their potentialities”. When I read this quote, I see beyond the purpose of just transmitting knowledge to students, I see the principle of education shaping individuals into moral, ethical citizens. Most importantly, I have come to the realisation that not all students reach their academic potential throughout collegeing and I, myself, am proof of this.
Students should not be forced, based on their socio-economic status, threw what Pierre Bourdieu refers to as the ‘reproductive cycle’ (education based on social class). It is the student’s educational right to have choice, where they are encouraged to break the reproductive cycle. John Dewey was sensitive to the idea of cultural reproduction and further mentioned, when the education system denies students access to their intellectual and spiritual individuality, they are merely followers within a mechanical industrial revolution that lacks individualism.
My philosophical understanding of education is driven by a quote my former English teacher gave me, the same person who inspired me to become a teacher. This inspirational and motivating quote by Haim Ginott states:
“I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and child humanised or dehumanised’’.
Throughout my professional development as a teacher, I continuously choose to reflect upon this quote in my practice of education. I hope this quote inspires other teachers to be the best facilitators they can be, and that parents, coaches and other influential adults will find it as inspiring as I have.
Happy weekend 🙂
chontelle singh says
That was a great read, thank you . It is inspirational to know that my son is part of this culture at IFS.