- Are you concerned about the U.S.’s rankings on national test scores? Do you think an increased emphasis on getting “back to the basics” is what schools need?
- Should students be allowed to give input into what they learn and pursue? Or is that solely the teacher’s job?
- Should schools model living in a democracy, or is that something students should learn later in life on their own?
These and many other questions like them point to your philosophy of education (or, more basically, your personal philosophy). An important part of being an educator is to recognize and uncover your philosophy of education. (And, yes, even speech-language pathologists as educators need to be aware of your philosophies in this area!). Knowing what you believe will help you to understand yourself as an educator–what you are now, what you can be, and what you cannot be (even when others may try to pressure you). Ultimately, this self-understanding will help you to be better at your own work as an educator.
Chapter 6 (pp. 178-199) of the textbook does an amazing job of outlining the major concepts you need to grasp to outline a philosophy.
In this course, you will write one paper about your philosophy of education. You will find Chapter 6 (esp. p. 206) invaluable for these writing tasks.
