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Personal Philosophy of Education

Ariana Luna Erives

My entire life I struggled with finding the right career for me because there were so many

things I was interested in, but I found nothing I passionate about. I never thought about teaching

because people around me always talked about how they do no not get paid well. I decided on

becoming a business major for a long time but it never felt right. One thing I knew for sure was

that I wanted to help people and make a positive impact on their lives. After a long time of

decision making, I figured out that teaching was the best option for me. I have always tutored my

little cousins ever since I was little, and it brings me joy to see how I am making a difference and

motivating them. In high school, I met three of the most amazing teachers. They helped me so

much and gave great advice about how to become successful and follow my dreams. Not only

were they great at teaching, but they were also great at understanding their students and making

us feel safe. They inspired me make a positive impact on my students’ lives.

Due to the fact that I am young, I will be able to relate to my students more. I can

understand their feelings and struggles because I have lived through them already. I have always

liked history and anything that has to do with government and politics. I have been learning more

about these subjects and I am continuing to learn more as I am in college. This will help me be a

good teacher because I enjoy it and will be able to explain things to my students in a simpler

way. I also have a lot of patience which I know will come in handy when teaching a large group

of people. My field observation helped me to understand the teaching environment by showing

me the struggles that come with this profession. Due to school being online, there are so many

issues that come with being a teacher. You must act fast and come up with plans to successfully

reach your students. I also received great advice that will help me once I start teaching. I got

advice about how to come up with lesson plans and was warned about how much time it can take

to make them. The key is to be creative and ask for help if needed. I learned to make connections
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with more experienced teachers so they can help and give their input.

After reviewing the different educational philosophies I found that the ones that dictate

my beliefs are progressivism, social reconstructionism, and existentialism. These are all student-

centered philosophies. I believe that there is no reason for school to be centered around the

teacher because the teacher is not the one doing the learning. That is why I must focus more on

the student and their needs while preparing them for a better future. The current philosophy

being practiced in most public schools today is essentialism, which has become outdated. This

philosophy was popularized in the 1930’s but we are now in 2020. Our country has changed yet

our schools remain the same. It is time to progress. Students are being thrown so much

information from social media, television, radio stations, and websites. They are more aware of

all the problems happening in their community and country. They feel that there are more

important issues in the world than learning math they will never use again. They are uninterested

and unhappy. They have little to no flexibility or choices about their education. The philosophy I

agree with the most is social reconstructionism. Social reconstructionism encourages students to

focus their studies on social inequities and reconstructing society. It also uses constructivism

which I believe is better for students. This philosophy appeals more to the new generation

because they are learning things that they will use in the real world. They are learning to become

better citizens, change the world for the better, and realize their individuality. They have more

freedom and say on their education resulting in them actually wanting to learn.

Historical events play a big role on my views of education and children because it shows

me what I want to avoid. Paulo Freire believed that schools were only serving the interest of the

dominant group which is still true today. This country praises itself on the idea that it is free, and

everyone can follow their dreams, but that is not true. People are starting to realize that now.
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Although it is not as obvious as when segregation was legal, these inequities exist today. One

example of the way the that schools serve the interest of the dominant group is the way funding

is provided to schools. Property tax keeps rich schools rich and poor schools poor. Historical

events regarding racism and discrimination along with the systematic racism happening today

motivate me to be better. It makes me want to make a change along with my students so that

everyone will be treated fairly and will get the opportunities they need to succeed.

The main strategies I will implement in my classroom are cooperative learning,

technology use, visualization, and differentiated learning. Cooperative learning is very effective

when done correctly. Allowing students to interact with their classmates makes class more fun

and will bring the class together since they are working with a diverse group of students. This

will get them used to working with people who are different from them. It will also give students

higher levels of self-esteem. Technology is an important part of classrooms today and it is just

becoming a bigger tool as years go on. Technology allows for more creative and interactive

learning. Technology is our future, and I will use it to my advantage. It can be used for video

projects, slideshows, or classroom games. Technology can be helpful with visualization. It can

be used for showing the class videos and examples of what is expected of them. Students learn

better when they can see pictures or written out directions. Showing them step by step will avoid

confusion. Differentiated learning is a crucial part of the classroom. Students do not all learn at a

same rate. Some students are more advanced, and some can fall behind. That is why it is

important to give a variety of assignments and instruction depending on the student. I will do this

in a discrete way so students will not feel left out. For example, grouping students by their

interests or abilities depending on what the assignment is. Also assigning each student a different

topic for projects will allow for them to show their full potential and challenge themselves while
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enhancing their strengths. Another example can be to give options for assignments so that

students can pick the one that will best suit them and their learning styles. It is more work to plan

these lessons, but it is better for the students and that is what matters. My classroom will be a

positive place where everyone will feel welcome. Along with cooperative learning I will make

sure to educate myself on other people cultures as much as I can. I will also do surveys to see

what students are and are not comfortable doing. To assess my students, I will have rubrics with

my expectations clearly written out and will use that to grade them. My expectations will vary

depending on the assignment. I will also assess them on how well they work with other students.

There are many qualities you need to move forward in this career. Some of the most

important ones include patience, clear communication, dedication, flexibility, creativity, and

good morals. Patience is a big factor when to comes to being a good teacher. It will help deal

with behavioral issues. A teacher must be able to keep calm and control their frustrations.

Teachers cannot expect every student to understand the material right away. This goes into my

next quality which is clear communication. Teachers must be able to communicate with students

in a way that they will understand easily and will avoid confusion. Since students are so diverse

and have different learning styles, you must be dedicated. It takes a lot of effort to be able to

effectively teach all my students. It takes hours and hours of time to get to know your students

and figure out what is best for them. You cannot just give up on them. It is crucial to be flexible

to please all the students and meet their educational needs. In addition to flexibility, it is

important to be creative. Students will not stay interested if they are doing the same thing over

and over again. You must put yourself in their shoes and think to yourself if you would want to

do the assignment or activity. The most significant of all qualities a teacher should have is good

ethics. Nobody should be in this professional if they are not caring, fair, respectful, and honest.
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I am extremely happy to have finally found something that I am passionate about.

Finally, my struggle of finding a career is over. I have so many goals and plans I want to

accomplish. In order to achieve my goals of becoming a successful teacher I am first going to

continue my education and get my bachelor’s degree. During my college years I am going to

volunteer at schools, substitute, and try to gain as much experience as I can. I will continue to

keep contact with some of my old high school teachers who always help me and give me advice.

I will use their knowledge to keep me on the right track. School is not easy, but I am going to

keep myself motivated and think of how it will all pay off in the end. Once I graduate, I am

going to apply to teach at different schools, but I hope to teach at my old high school. Wherever I

end up teaching is going to be an amazing experience that I cannot wait for. My first years are

going to be tough, but I am ready for the challenge.