My Philosophy of Education

Cabreros, Editha S.

Introduction

Being a teacher is not an easy profession, it requires us to continually improve ourselves, to be strong well-being and inspired, for us to help students to learn and unlock their potential. “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires” (William Arthur Ward). I want to be a great and effective teacher, not just an efficient teacher who gives her best in teaching and able to make her students learn or master the skills and turned them meaningful, appropriate and applicable in real life situations. A teacher who reaches out to her students, appreciates them and can make a difference in their lives. 

My Educational Philosophy

My Educational philosophy is a combination of progressivism and existentialism. I believe that teachers should focus on the whole child, respect their individuality, develop their innate learning styles and abilities while helping them to accept and appreciate their existence, rather than being impenetrable with facts to learn. As a mother to my three year old daughter, I can see and observe my child’s different innate talents, capabilities, and her learning style. My daughter effectively learns a certain concept by showing her how things done, rather than plain dictation, she learns faster when I focus to her, motivate her that she can do it and appreciate her. It’s just like my philosophy of teaching, I believe that students can learn through hands-on, active participation in activities that relate to their lives and experiences and by giving them a wide variety of experiences to enhance their self-awareness. I strongly agree with John Dewey, that the students learn by doing. I also believe the students need to feel free to determine their own values and identities, we should not force them to have our values in them because it’s a personal matter. And lastly, I believe that we as teacher can affect the students if we love want we’re doing and the students. “The Teacher is the key in educating the students; yet, the former’s love unlocks the creativity and potentials of the latter”. This is my teaching values and it supports my personal values in life which is, “Every day is another chance to love God truly, to love people, and to be the best version of you”.

Why to teach?

Teaching for me is influencing and shaping one’s life. I teach because I want to offer pathways and experiences so that students can learn by doing, discover and feel free to form and pursue their own values, potential, and identities while learning, but that freedom comes included taking full responsibility for those values. I believe that while guiding the students, the student should accept responsibility for their own values, feelings, and actions, because these have been self-generated rather than dictated. I want to help them to develop into enlightened and intelligent citizens that have a right attitude and have a good relationship to others and most of all to God.

How to teach?

I believe that every child is a special and unique individual that have different talents, skills, and learning styles. I agree with Howard Gardner “The Multiple Intelligence Theory”. So as a teacher, it is my responsibility to maintain a learning environment where students feel encouraged to express themselves through discussion, creative activities and active experimentation. An environment where they can freely choose their own preferred way, to identify and know their self better. As a teacher I must be flexible in my approach in teaching and should know the personality of my students. I also believe that the teacher should not teach the subject in one way because every student has a different level of understanding. In a certain situations and contexts, cooperative learning is helpful because it helps students learn from each other. I should also focus on my students. And when teaching them the values, I should only employ the values clarification strategy where the students will be able to practice sound moral reasoning skills, choose the appropriate response for a value conflict and commit themselves to personal, moral, and societal values to help students know themselves and their place in society, not to impose my own values to them.

What to teach?

I believe that it is my calling as a teacher not just to teach them rote information and memorization, but rather engage them in a learning experience that may ignite their curiosities and help in the development of their natural learning styles, abilities and own passions to cope with the changing world. Develop their potentials, self-worth and confidence, which are the essential upon achieving their goals in life.

I am a teacher

I am a teacher, it is my profession to bring out students’ individual talents, potentials, own creativity, and self-expression regardless of which path they choose. I am authority figure, helping and motivating students to learn by doing, appreciate themselves as unique individuals who accept complete responsibility for their thoughts, feelings, and actions.

I am a teacher, helping a child to develop as a whole person while appreciating their existence here on earth. Teach not to praise by others but to influence one’s life in a positive way. Not for the income but for the outcome.

I am a teacher, believing that I am the key in educating the students; yet, my love and compassion towards them unlock their creativity and potentials because by loving and showing kindness to them is another way to show the love of God to them.

I am a teacher – I believe that I’m God’s instrument for expressing and sharing His love and compassion; simultaneously – I’m a facilitator of active learning and the discovery of the potentials, of those whom I teach. 

~Editha S. Cabreros