Mackay Clayton

Prof. Leesa Leonard

EDU 1010-401

My Teaching Philosophy

The philosophy of teachers throughout history, both in and out of our own country, has

shaped the world as we know it. Education shapes the individuals of society, by impressing upon

themeither negatively or positivelythe knowledge of the world in which they live. In this

way, it sways society itself, especially as it becomes highly regulated like in our current system.

My own goal in developing an educational philosophy is to implement the good portion

of as many ideologies as possible. The one on are the four main ideologies discussed in our

course, namely: Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressivism; and Social Resconstructivism. Each

of these ideologies has its strengths and its flaws, on which I will briefly state my position. My

goal is that of creating for myself a plan that will shape my direction and my tactics as a teacher,

as well as an influence in the education community.

My first focus is that of the values and principles our education system should teach our

children; a perennialist position, as it were. Contrary to the common perception, I do not believe

this ideal is at odds with teaching skills and knowledge the way essentialism directs. Instead, I

believe that teaching societal values and morals is a foundation for acquiring knowledge. In the

end, values and moral principles are what motivate students to gain the basic and knowledge and

skills we put in our curriculum; it is the goal and the ideal that give knowledge and skills a

purpose.

One of the greatest barriers to instilling such moral values in a state-run system is the

controversy on moral issues. The task of defining and enforcing morality on highly political or
divisive topics is not the place of a single group of teachers and school board members, nor is it

in their capacity to do so. On that note, I disagree with the social-reconstructivist concept that

educators should be politically involved with their students. I believe that such decisions should

lie with the students themselves and that they shouldnt be politically manipulated into thinking

one way or another.

What, then, are the principles we should be teaching to motivate our students? My answer

to this question is to teach the principles of tolerance, non-violence, and honesty that allow

society to function.

The way in which I agree with Social Reconstructivism is in the importance of inspiring

students to be the change in the world. By encouraging our students and showing them how

influential they can become by pursuing an education, we can empower them to create positive

change in society without imposing any politically influenced agenda on our curriculum.

This is how I interconnect student-centered learning (like in Perennialism and

Progressivism) with teacher-centered learning (as found in Essentialism and S.

Reconstructivism): the role of a teacher in her or his individual students learning. A set

curriculum is necessary for an organized, accountable education system, but students learning

styles are individual and vary immensely. The teacher is the key player in bridging this gap and

organizing the students based on their compatible learning abilities in groups and one-on-one

monitoring.

It is for this reason that I want to balance all the classic ideologies in my teaching style:

there are necessary ideals and skills that all of our students should attain, but each of them needs

to learn these concepts in his or her own way. I hold myself as a teacher responsible for bringing
out these individual strengths and helping students to each reach their potential for functioning in

society and ultimately, changing the world.