My Personal Educational Philosophy Outline

1. Philosophy of education:

--not a pure philosophy

--more like a blended pyramid

--perennialism as the knowledge base (Robert Hutchins and Thomas Jefferson) with a little Socratic method

--progressivism as the holistic, active approach in the classroom (Dewey)

--a little existentialism or social reconstructionism as results

2. Purpose of education:

--students should:

have a broad knowledge of the basics (from the teacher/master)

learn how to learn (knowledge is good, the ability learn is powerful)

learn that they know less than what they don’t know

learn how to use what they know for personal success and the common good

3. Curriculum:

--focus: liberal arts

--inputs:

the absolute mandates from the government

a broad classical liberal arts curriculum (by the teacher)

present day applications of the classics (student led)

eg. Chinese or Japanese instead of Latin

integration of the old and new

4. Role of the teacher:

--“el maestro” for the basic subject matter

--facilitate learning by the students

--support other teachers and the administration

--conduit of student progress to the parents

--not a buddy or a friend (be available, but not a primary counselor)

--model good behavior

5. Why do I want to become a teacher?

--to be a constructive part of human progress

--to give back to the system that which benefited me in my life

--to hang with the high energy, inquisitive minds on the way to adulthood