A teacher's personal philosophy of education is a critical element in his or her approach to guiding children along the path of enlightenment. Hence, there are five key educational philosophies recognized in the field of education. These include, Essentialism, Perennialism, Progressivism, Existentialism, and Behaviorism (Sadker & Sadker, 1994, p. 382-83). Each carries both positive and negative tenets, at least in my opinion. Therefore, I prefer an eclectic discernment in my quest of an educational philosophy. Because, my idea of the perfect teacher is one, who inspires learning in addition to just relating the required facts. A certain amount of creativity, enthusiasm, and motivation is required of the teacher. Certainly, this is a tall order for anyone in a profession on a daily basis. However, considering that children are our future, the effort is worth it!

The three major philosophies that correspond, at least in part, to my ideals are Essentialism, Progressivism and Behaviorism. The first, American Essentialism, is grounded in a conservative philosophy that accepts the social, political, economic structure of American society. Essentialists believe that teachers should instill such traditional American virtues as respect for authority, perseverance, fidelity to duty, consideration for others, and practicality (p. 369). In the classroom, traditional disciplines are taught such as math, natural science, history, foreign language, and literature, which form the foundation of the curriculum. The teacher serves as an intellectual and moral role model for the students and the academic program is rigorous for both slow and fast learners. In addition, it is hoped that when the student leaves school, they will possess not only basic skills and an extensive body of knowledge, but disciplined and practical minds as well. However, the rigor of this program, by itself, does not always allow for the interest of the student and that is where tenets of the progressive philosophy come into focus.

Progressivism has a respect for individuality. It is believed that people are social animals who learn well through active interplay with others and that our learning increases when we are engaged in activities that have meaning for us (p. 372). In a progressivist classroom, teachers plan lessons to arouse curiosity and push the student to a higher level of knowledge. The students are encouraged to learn by doing and to interact with one another. This develops social virtues such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view. In addition, students solve problems in the classroom similar to those they will encounter outside school, which provides them with the tools needed to become flexible problem solvers in preparation for adult lives. Progressivists believe that this approach to education is a perpetually enriching process of ongoing growth (p. 372).

With the needs of the curriculum and methods addressed, I think it is important to include aspects of classroom management. That is where the philosophy of Behaviorism falls into place. Skinner, the father of Behaviorism, believed that proper motivation does not come from within, rather it is the reinforcing opportunities of the environment that serve to strengthen or reduce behaviors. (Cooney, Cross, & Trunk, 1993, p. 220). Basically, it depends on the skill of the teacher to create an environment where appropriate reinforcers exist that facilitate learning and establish acceptable behavior within the classroom. By positive reinforcement, students will behave well toward one another, sit quietly and listen, and participate when needed. These behaviors are just as essential as learning the curriculum (p. 212).

However, in the American society of the 90's, there is another perspective to be considered when designing a personal philosophy. One that goes beyond the accepted role of the classroom discussed previously. The critical factor is the removal of parents from the home. Many households are headed by a single parent or both parents are needed to supply salaries just to maintain the necessities. Whatever the reason, for many hours each day there is simply no one at home. This situation has caused a crisis! Students are no longer arriving at school ready to learn the basics, or the three R's, as reading, writing, and arithmetic are termed. The goals of economic viability, good citizenship, and the other social virtues are even harder to achieve when these children have not had the opportunity to learn the basic mores of our society (Martin, 1995, p. 355-56)

Therefore, we as educators are dealt the problem of rectifying the situation as best as we can. To address this issue, a new philosophy was developed by Jane Roland Martin. I will term this the "schoolhome" philosophy. Whereas, Martin proposes that,

instead of focusing our gaze on abstract norms, standardized tests, and generalized rates of success and uniform outcomes, the idea of the schoolhome directs attention to actual educational practice. Of course, a schoolhome will teach the three R's. But it will give equal emphasis to the three C's of care, concern, and connection---not by designating formal courses in these fundamentals but by being a domestic environment characterized by safety, security, nurturance, and love. In a schoolhome, classroom climate, school routines and rituals, teachers' modes of teaching, and children's ways of learning are all guided by a spirit of family-like affection (p. 359).

Certainly, any child could thrive in such an environment. Yet, a question is brought to mind. Is it practical? Considering the diversity within our society, can we create a 'schoolhome' to meet the needs of its students? I think it is worth a try and has to be beneficial to some degree.

Fundamentally, I believe the tenets that I have selected from the various schools of philosophy correspond to my ideal of the perfect approach to teaching. In addition, this eclectic approach allows for an overlap of the six branches of philosophy in a way that no single school of thought would be capable. From Existentialism, ethics, metaphysics, and logic would be covered just by the very nature of its philosophy. Teachers act as role models for the students to instill American virtues and when combined with the heavy emphasis on science, metaphysics and logic fall into place. Behaviorism also overlaps with the ethics, as it develops the guidelines for appropriate behavior of individuals. Progressivism covers four of the branches and includes: epistemology, axiology, aesthetics, and logic. Epistemology is an investigation into how we learn. The purpose of progressivism is to seek ways to accommodate the student's individuality: therefore, this will include learning styles as well as the axiology of cultural values. Art and music for aesthetic purposes will be somewhat difficult for a social studies teacher. Yet, I plan to incorporate as many forms of media as possible to keep the interests of my students. So, I feel that in that respect, this area will not suffer. Progressivism's last branch is logic and it is one that the students will come to know by the progressivist ideal that what is learned in the classroom has relevance to the real world. History is an art as well as a science so there is plenty of opportunity to explore the reasoning by both inductive and deductive methods behind the actions of our forefathers and how it affects us today. Finally, we come to the 'schoolhome' philosophy, which overlaps in the areas of aesthetics and ethics by its homelike atmosphere. Aesthetics does not just mean art and music, but also the atmosphere of the room. I feel that if I can succeed in creating a warm and comfortable environment then it will be aesthetically pleasing to the students. In addition, my teaching approach in this environment would also help the students develop guidelines that they may not receive at home.

Consequently, my personal philosophy is drawn from those listed. I believe that all children can achieve their full potential as they follow the educational path, if they are given the basics the Essentialists extol, the individualism and cooperative learning environments the Progressivists commend, the reinforcement of Behaviorism, and the three C's of the schoolhome. The vision of my future classroom reflects all of these points. It is my hope that, as I impart the knowledge needed, I will also manage to inspire and motivate my students to seek more by showing them that they can have fun in the search. This is inevitably a challenge, but one that I look forward to.

References

Cooney, William., Cross, Charles. & Trunk, Barry. (1993). From Plato to Piaget: The Greatest Educational Theorists From Across the Centuries and Around the World. New York: University Press of America.

Martin, J.R. (1995, January). A philosophy of education for the year 2000. Phi Delta Kappan, 76 (5).

Sadker, M.P. & Sadker, D.M. (1994). Teachers, Schools, and Society. NewYork: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

Evidence Rationale Statement
General Philosophy Statement

The general philosophy statement submitted as evidence illustrates that the five major educational philosophies were examined. Those that corresponded to my personal ideals were expanded to portray the intended outcomes of that philosophy. This statement also reflects how I hope to create the ideal learning environment for my students by incorporating the tenets of the philosophies examined.

Evidence meets standard: Philosophy 1.1