Philosophy of Education Essay -- Philosophy of Teaching Teachers Essay

Philosophy of Education Webster’s definition of teaching is the act or profession of instruction. But to be a teacher is so much more. A teacher must be an instructor, counselor, disciplinarian, and a role model. To be an effective teacher we must incorporate all these roles into one entity. I have read educational philosophies written by Plato, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Charles Anders Pierce, and John Dewy. These viewpoints were helpful in determining my own educational philosophy. I did not use one particular by parts of all of them. Many times they wee only a starting point and my mind would carry me in a different direction. On the next few pages I will set forth Patricia Smith’s educational philosophy. You may recognize some of the ideas and some you may not. Plato believed that humans wee predestined to possess a certain amount of knowledge. He believed there were three types of human beings. He proposed a gold type, which was the philosopher/kings, the silver that consisted of the people who make up the military, and finally the bronze, which were the laborers. He believed that students should be sorted out and taught according to their judged abilities. I believe that we each possess a certain amount of natural ability and talent. But at the same time no person has the right or ability to classify another. I do not believe a child is predestined to have a certain amount of intelligence, but that every child has the potential to be a â€Å"gold†, we just need to find the key to unlock that potential. If teachers set high expectations for their students, the students will give their best, but if teachers set low expectations, the students will not try to exceed these expectations. ... ...mentary school. At the same time, I never want to be satisfied. When I reach one goal, I’ll always set another one. I eventually want to obtain a Masters Degree in Library Science. I have a desire to learn new things and want to inspire my students to become life long learners. If I look back on my life and can say I taught a child to read, write in cursive, or the taught him/her multiplication tables I will feel like I taught. But if I can motivate a child to reach his/her full potential, I will feel like I have achieved something. In conclusion my philosophy on education is reflected in the following words by an unknown author: â€Å"A hundred years from now it won’t matter how much money I had in a bank account, how big of a house I lived in or what kind of car I drove. What will matter is that I have made the difference in the life of a child.†