Humanities Homework Help

A philosophy of education is a set of beliefs about how children develop and learn. This is an individualized statement that is based on core values and beliefs. These are related to your beliefs about the nature and purpose of life, your role and calling in life, and your relationship and responsibilities to others. These also incorporate your beliefs about education and its purpose, the nature of children, learning styles, and the role of teachers. A philosophy of education is more than an opinion; it is based on theoretical frameworks, as well as empirical data. Understanding and applying this information is valuable, but ultimately you have to decide what you personally believe and why you believe that. Moment by moment, day by day, what you believe impacts what you will teach and how you will teach it.

Professional practice includes teaching with and from a philosophy of education which acts as a guidepost as you work with children and families. Your personal philosophy of education is a summary of your beliefs about how children develop and learn and how this is best supported through early childhood educational models and programming. You should incorporate your personal beliefs and philosophies and show evidence of your awareness of quality educational practices that support children’s learning and development by citing evidence from our assigned class readings (and/or other credible sources).

This is a 3- to 5-page statement of your personal beliefs about teaching and learning. This personal philosophy statement will be important to you as you create your educational portfolio, present yourself in job interviews, and select a setting that fits you. We will discuss these, begin work on them, and rework them through a writing workshop experience in class. A rubric is available below.

GETTING STARTED

The following statements will help you get started in developing your philosophy. You do not have to include all of these things in your philosophy. They are intended to guide you as you begin to develop your personal statement.

Purpose of Education:

I believe the purposes of education are… because…

Education and schooling should…

I want for my students to…

How Children Develop and Learn:

All children have certain needs that must be met if they are to grow and learn at their best. Some of these needs are…

I believe children learn best when they are taught under certain conditions and in certain ways, such as…

Children follow some typical patterns of development across many different domains, including….

The Role of the Teacher:

Children learn best in an environment that promotes learning. Features of a good learning environment are…

The curriculum of any classroom should include “basics” that contribute to children’s social/emotional, intellectual, linguistic, and physical development as well as their affective stances towards learning. These basics include…

As a teacher, I would meet students’ needs by…

A teacher should have certain qualities and behave in certain ways. Qualities I think are important for teaching are…

Theoretical Foundations:

There are many different approaches to understanding the purpose of education that are informed by culture, history, and theory. Some of the thinkers that have influenced my philosophy of education are…

There are many different approaches to understanding how young children develop that are informed by research and theory. Some of the theories that have influenced my understandings are…

There are many different approaches to teaching young children that are informed by research and theory. Some of the theories that have influenced my approaches to teaching are…

After you have written your philosophy, evaluate it with the following questions:

Have I been honest with myself?

Does my philosophy accurately relate my beliefs about the purpose of education and schooling?

Does my philosophy accurately relate my beliefs about how children learn and grow, and how that is best supported?

Have I been comprehensive, stating my beliefs about what children should be taught, how children should be taught, the conditions under which children learn best, and what qualities make up a good teacher?

Do I support my philosophy and thinking with sound reasoning based on my personal and professional experiences, as well as my knowledge about Early Childhood Education practices, policy, and theory?

Is my philosophy understandable to me and others?

Are my ideas consistent with one another?

Have I accurately cited my sources and research that I’ve referenced?

FORMAT

Your personal philosophy of education should be 3-5 pages of writing (plus front/back matter such as a title page, abstract, and references), and it should be formatted as follows:

Title page

Abstract

Philosophy Statement (3-5 pages)

References

Recall that all published materials should be word-processed (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1” margins) and professionally presented, adhering to the APA Style Manual (7th Edition).