Philosophy 2
What is philosophy? According to the book, Foundations of Education, philosophies are fully developed bodies of thought each representing a generalized worldview (Ornstein & Levine, 2003). Many people have their own philosophies and worldviews so it is hard to say that everyone has the same educational philosophies. I never fully understood what a philosophy was or even acknowledged the fact that every teacher has a hidden philosophy behind their teaching strategies. My instructors never came out and said that they follow a certain philosophy or even practiced it for that matter.
My idea of a perfect teacher is one who inspires learning in addition to just relating the required curriculum. Teachers need creativity, enthusiasm, and motivation to be a successful teacher. All philosophies are different with a few similarities between them such as pragmatism and existentialism, which share similarities with each other. As I have been exposed to the philosophy of education, I realized there is a reason for these philosophies. A teacher's philosophy of education is a critical element in his or her approach to guiding the students along the path of enlightenment.
My personal philosophy is closely represented by the practice of progressivism which is rooted in pragmatism, which has respect for individuality. A pragmatic philosophy towards education makes education more relevant to the needs and interests of the students. John Dewey believed that people are social animals who learn well through active interplay with others and that our learning increases when we are engaged in activities that have meaning for us (1 ...