Philosophy of Education
I am twenty-eight years old, and have only decided to become a teacher within the past two years. I have always wanted to help people in some way, yet I was not sure of what area or angle to go with my humanitarian instincts. While at University, two of my professors would continually express their feelings on what an impact I would make as a teacher. This planted the seed. I later became pregnant with and gave birth to my daughter. When you are pregnant and have children you have many worries and anxieties, including the stress of who will be caring for and teaching your child. I then examined the public school systems, for it is very difficult to ignore the negative media it has received in just the past few years. Something inside of me has told me that this is where I want to be. Somehow I want to make a difference in that child’s life by showing the child that someone does care and that they do have a positive place in the world. Hopefully this can open the child up to the realization that knowledge is the power and the key to a successful and productive life.
The more experiences that I acquire in the development of children, the better I understand the nature of the child. I reject Hobbes’ theory of the nasty brute, for I do not view children as being born inherently evil. My views of the nature of children also differ from that of Rousseau, for I do not view children as noble savages being born inherently good. I do advocate the theory of John Locke, the tabula rasa, stating that the mind of a child is born with a blank slate. Marx also plays a key role in my theory of the nature of children. Like Marx, I view human nature as dynamic and changing. In part, I feel as if human nature is shaped by the systems that direct the lives of society. Through my experiences of baby-sitting, an eight-year employment at a pediatric doctor’s office, and current employment at a daycare center I have viewed children in various developmental stages and social situations. Through all of these encounters I have had with children in the past, the primary experience that has developed upon my views of the nature of children, and has inspired me to choose a career in the educating of today’s youth has been the birth of my daughter.
To me knowledge and the acquiring of knowledge is not just one aspect set in stone with only one path leading to its attainment. Knowledge has various aspects to it, and since each individual has various aspects to them the gaining of knowledge is obtained in a variety of ways being specific to the needs of the individual. Knowledge is both relative and absolute. Certain types of knowledge can be taught to an individual, while other types of knowledge can be discovered. We are taught certain truths in life, and we discover truths on the basis of personal exploration of the knowledge that we have acquired throughout our life times.
The overall purpose...
