My Goals and Philosophy of Education Essay

I would like to be a teacher because I have always been the one that’s eager to make a difference, I want to be the teacher that children remember for the rest of their life even after school. The love that I have always had for children is what drew me to teaching and the love that I have for learning is where I got my passion to teach. I have been inspired by many teachers in the past who has had a positive impact on my life and these are the ones that I have viewed as a mentor, leader and even as a parent. One particular reason that I chose to pursue a career in the education field is because I believe that when teachers work individually and collectively they have the ability to improve and change the world.

What do you want to be when you grow up? This is a common question people ask children and young adults; however, for me this was never a simple question to answer. The notion of picking just one profession that you will essentially do for the rest of your life is scary! It has taken me years to find the answer to that question, but I have finally decided that I want to be a teacher when I grow up. The main reasons I want to be a teacher is because I thoroughly enjoying working with children, I want to make a difference in young children’s lives, and because of the scheduling of the profession.

My desire to become a teacher began while I was in junior high school however; my family, friends, and coaches basically turned me against it. They said it was a jobless market with no future. At that age, those people were very impressionable on my decisions, and because of this I became disillusioned about my career, and at that point I just knew I wanted to attend college.

Developing a personal education philosophy is a process that may never end, but I believe that I am in the midst of creating one based on my own experiences and the lessons I am receiving in college. After examining the various education philosophies outlined in the “Teachers, Schools & Society” textbook by Myra Pollack Sadker and David Miller Sadker, I have decided that my present philosophy is an eclectic combination of Essentialism and Progressivism. This approach covers my beliefs and the way I hope to interact with students.

I want to go to college to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. I love being around children. I am patient. A good teacher needs to be patient. I believe teaching would be a rewarding and fulfilling career.

Sydney J. Harris once said “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” What that quote means to me is that I have not seen the world and the opportunities it has to show me, so I want be one of those teachers who can look into different states and countries and teach all different types of people. I knew at a young age I wanted to be a teacher. All those times I would teach my dollies, I was happy, energetic and communicated well; that still applies today. In planning for a career in education, I would be able to show many people what I can accomplish, and how all my qualities will make me a great teacher.

My Educational philosophy is defined in becoming a teacher as a set of ideas and beliefs about education that guide the professional behavior of educators. Also included in educational philosophy are one’s beliefs about teaching and learning, students, knowledge and what is worth knowing. My five general purposes for philosophy of education are: to set goals of plan, to teach useful and relevant information, be aware of students learning styles, modeling positive cooperative behavior, to look for solutions and to make sure those solutions are working.

Most individuals can recall when they were very young saying, “When I grow up, I want to be a . . . ” For some people, over the course of growing up their ambitions changed several times. But for many, they ended up in a career which was a life long desire, goal, or ambition. Today, students must begin to think about their future on a more serious note than that of childhood during the latter part of their middle school years. This is during their eighth grade year usually, which is a year or two younger now than just a few years past. But, the reason for this is still the same. This will enable students to gear their education in a route which will hopefully benefit them after high school

I believe the purpose of an educator is to enhance minds and touch lives. I think it is wonderful that in the country we live in today, that all children are not only given the opportunity for an education, but are forced to take advantage of it. Almost every adult can look back at their school years and think of at least one teacher that has touched their lives in one or more ways. I hope that as an educator that I will have made a difference in many lives and be their motivation to reach their highest goals.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, “A teacher is a person who teaches especially for a living.” This definition though is not entirely true about a teacher. As a teacher not only do you teach students, but teachers are parents, social workers, nurses, and even friends. A good teacher should be able to play all of these roles and will be successful throughout their teaching career. I attended public schools, so I got the good, the bad, and the ugly of every kind of teacher one could possibly have. The good teachers I had throughout school are what inspired me to become a teacher now. I am pursing a major in mathematics even though a lot of people think I am crazy for doing so, but the school

Being an educator is definitely something I have always known I wanted to pursue. Although I have had other thoughts in mind, such as being a performer or professional athlete, teaching is something that I have always seemed to go back to. When I was in Kindergarten, my oldest brother was diagnosed with Cancer. I was only five years old at the time, so I did not really have a strong understanding of what was happening. All I knew was that my brother was really sick and I was scared. However, through all of the hospitalization, doctor visits, checkups and treatments, my teacher never left my family’s side. She always made it a point to see how we were doing and see if there was anything either she or the school could do for us. I remember she especially tried her best to make me feel comfortable at school and take my mind off of what was going on. And at that time, I knew that if one person could have such a big impact on me the way my teacher did, then I wanted to do that for someone too.

As a young girl, I dreamed of what I wanted to be when I grew up. My decisions would range from a princess to a trauma nurse, at one point I wanted to follow my dad’s footsteps and be a truck driver and travel the country. However, one day I decided that I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be a teacher to teach young minds, to guide them in the right way, but most of all I wanted to make a difference in the world. Through the classes that I have taken at Athens State University and experiences in which I have endured while observing in local schools, I have developed my own philosophy of teaching. My career goal is to become a great teacher and mentor, and I have the determination to do what is needed to be done in order to achieve my ultimate career goal. Throughout my philosophy, I will elucidate on the elements in which will play major roles within my courses and how I see myself teaching my future pupils.

What is my philosophy of education? For hours I have tried to decide what exactly that is. However after much thought I have not been able to come up with an exact answer. After much consideration I have decided that I have no real philosophy but I have goals that one day I will achieve. Although the goals sound simple I know that they will be difficult to attain.

When looking at careers throughout my high school years, never once did I see myself becoming a teacher. I never thought I would want to stand in front of children and teach them. When I first started college, I thought that I wanted to become a nurse. After starting nursing school, I realize I did not like it as much as I hoped. I was lost and confused, and had no idea what I wanted to be or do with my future. After talking to my family and friends, they suggested that I tried education. They all said that I was excellent with children, I was caring, and I was good at helping people.

Education is an experience that without a doubt no one can avoid at least for a while. While this process should be positive sometimes it can seem more negative. People should not look back at their education and perceive it as a “bad” thing or a waste of time. Logically one would think that a person is entitled to their own opinion; however, the opinion of one’s education should never be portrayed as a negative one. Every teacher or educator, whether they realize it or not, has developed an educational philosophy probably starting at the time they became interested in the field of education. It is through this educational