Dallas Mondragon
Philosophy of Education
(Rough Draft)
5 July 2011
EDUC 2250
Education has not always has been a very important feature in my life. I do however now that I have become wiser, feel that teachers have one of the most important jobs to be had. They are responsible for influencing and guiding the lives of their students, be it instilling principles and ways of thinking to educating them on the history of yesterday. All students, regardless of background, racial make-up, or disability status have the ability to and right to learn and experience an education. I feel that teachers need to become conscious of the fact that not all students learn at the same speed or at the same level as their peers. I would like for my students to come to the realization that they are all significant to me. I want to be an impartial educator and behave towards each and every one of my students with consideration and even-handedness. As technology has started to play an ever increasing role in education, it is my plan to keep up with the technological advances to facilitate my students understanding of the opportunities afforded them. In today’s world, we as teachers can communicate with other educational institutions miles away. I think this new technology will help make better the quality of a well rounded education, so long as we do not completely abandon some of the old ways of learning such as the reading of quality classic books. I also believe teachers need to take the time to learn from one another. I feel that we as teachers should have adequate planning time to create new lesson plans. To be effective, we as teachers need to be willing to allow constructive criticism when given the chance. We should develop a set of connection of our peers to accept and give criticism. I think that all teachers can benefit if we are willing to learn from one another. The sharing of new and inventive ideas can only serve to give us a new perspective on an old idea. When it comes to instructional practice, we as teachers need be willing to use an assortment of techniques in order to effectively reaching all of our students. I believe teachers who only employ a single approach to educate tend to be ineffective compared to those willing to be flexible in the classroom. It has become evident in recent years that they fail to reach all of their students for we know that every student learns in their own way. Varying methods of teaching helps to foster an appealing and enjoyable environment that in turn will help students succeed. I plan on employing a multitude of methods in my teaching, ranging from hands on to technology based. As a P.E. teacher, I plan on keeping worksheets and tests to a minimum but I know that many schools heavily rely on them. Just as I will vary the way that I teach my students, I will also vary the way that I evaluate my student’s progress, by using several different methods, such as, direct study of my students, and possibly progression folders. I feel students who actually feel as though they are a part of their education process will have a more open mind when it comes to their learning compared to those students that have no say in their education. It is my personal belief that educators should direct their students in their learning, not force feed them into learning. The function of education is to facilitate students to become successful in their own lives. We all see success in different ways and far too often the way we determine success is small-minded and unjust. Teachers need to think about what is important to their students, what really matters to them and what will be most useful to them in the real world. We as teachers must fit this together with the required content, easier said than done if you ask me. But I believe successful teachers find ways of doing this each and every day. I believe an effective teacher associates all learning to the real world and in doing so makes learning tangible and having an important effect on all students.
