Educational Goals and Philosophy :: Teaching Education Careers Essays

Educational Goals and Philosophy How do I feel about teaching? I feel that the most important career an individual could choose would be education. Teachers play an important role in the lives of young children. They help shape and mold the world's future citizen that will run companies, be politicians, doctors, lawyers, teachers, electricians, construction workers, or whatever they desire. I feel that the most important role of a teacher is to provide children with the best possible education that is available. Teachers need to help young children learn and work up to their potential to be a productive, responsible citizen in society today. There are many strategies to use when providing the students with an appropriate education that meets all the individual's needs. I believe that the Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle all played an important role in shaping the educational system. I basically agree with Socrates philosophy because he promoted intellectual insights in his students. The Socratic method was a challenge in Socrates time as it is today because people don't like change. They are hesitant when it comes to new approaches or strategies to teach the curriculum. Many educators still tend to use the conventional ideas and traditions to teach subject matter as opposed to keeping up with the current trends and technologies today. I also agree with parts of Plato and Aristotle's philosophies. I feel that a combination of the three would benefit any teacher. Progressivism is respect for individuality. My hope is to allow for this in my classroom. As I enter into the educational field and acquire more knowledge, I began to realize how different individual's needs are and how different methods have to be used to get across concepts being taught. Howard Gardner identified eight kinds of intelligences. The quality of a student's performance depends greatly on how they learn. I hope to meet all my student's needs by incorporating a wide variety of techniques in my lesson plans. I will use cooperative learning groups, peer tutoring, teach - reteach methods, hands - on activities, and the use of technology. I will be open - minded to any suggestions or any new approaches that may arise.