Education is a loaded word.
The purpose of developing an educational philosophy, as I understand it, is to clearly establish and consistently transform my own personal, political, professional and pedagogical purpose. Teaching is a multifaceted, highly complex profession so it is important to consistently oscillate between the four (aforementioned) determinants of a successful educational philosophy as they directly impact not only how I teach but the way my students will learn as a result of my practices.
My own educational philosophy is founded in a holistic, universal worldview that is fundamentally inclusive for all students. It directly challenges what does and does not happen when learning takes place.
Theoretically speaking; my philosophy lends itself to Karl Poppers “evolutionary analysis of learning” (Swann, 2012, p.12) which also strongly reflects a social constructivist perspective on education. Constructivism is a paradigm of teaching and learning that focuses on student-centred inquiry. This is a powerful reformation of more traditional approaches to classroom development – that view the learner’s relationship to the teacher as one of dependence. It is my belief that these dated attitudes impede students from engaging in “self-initiated and self-directed exploratory activity” (Bada, 2015, p.66) which are simply not conducive to the promotion of holistic, diverse learning that forms an integral part of my own philosophy.
Teaching does not necessarily facilitate policy engagement and advocacy by design due mostly to demands of a full-time teaching schedule. I, however, am of the firm belief that it is my responsibility to engage with policy processes at both a local and state level; through various policy mechanisms. These include engaging in collaborative practice, actionable feedback and rallying for professional career continuum which will ultimately shape the way I am able to connect to educational policy. As such these are all fundamental to my own philosophical conjecture.
Finally, my educational philosophy also takes premise in the idea that we are all learners. Even as we teach, we learn new ways to adapt, develop and grow in our practice but also our humanity and this is critical in a profession that is so multi-dimensional, so intricate and arguably one of the most transformative influences on the social, cultural, intellectual and emotional well-being of adolescents.
References:
Bada, S. (2015). Constructivism Learning Theory: A Paradigm for Teaching and Learning. IOSR Journal Of Research & Method In Education, 5(6), 66-70. https://doi.org/10.9790/7388-05616670
Swann, J. (2012). Learning, teaching, and education research in the 21st century (1st ed., pp. 12-13). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
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