Philosophy of Education

Kenneth Waldvogel
I believe that the students are the future of not only this country, but the world.
Following this statement, I desire for every student that passes through the doorway of my
classroom to leave after the year is done and be more mature physically, intellectually,
emotionally, and socially. In order for this to happen, there are several elements that must
shape the educational experience of my students. These elements are respect (towards self
and others), teacher guidance, and flexibility to allow the direction of the lesson to be
partially dictated by the interests of the students. Education philosopher and twentieth
century educator John Dewey supported a progressive education and believed that students
learn best when their learning follows their interests. To that end, I will practice respect,
guidance, and flexibility in both my lesson pans and the classroom.
As an educator, it is important that the students in my classroom are able to meet or
exceed all of the education standards that are appropriate for their age and grade. It is my
responsibility as their secondary level history teacher to do everything possible to make sure
that they learn all the material required by New York State. Through my knowledge of
world and American history, economics, and geography and the use of technology I will be
shaping the education of future generations. Adolescence is a difficult time for many
students for a number of reasons, but it can be a wonderful time if they are properly
nurtured and offered opportunities to interact and collaborate with their peers.
In order to be an effective teacher it is also my responsibility to make sure that I take
into consideration the cultural, economic, and social diversity of my students. I feel that
this is especially important for history teachers as I will be teaching a lot about the events
that have led to various cultures and traditions being shaped the way they are. Being

Philosophy of Education

culturally responsible is becoming an increasingly more important part of the job as more
and more students who enter schools are from cultures other than the typical middle class
white student, which for many years has been the clearly dominant cultural norm.
Teaching does not only offer a growing experience for the students, but the teachers
as well. It is crucial that I reflect on how the day went and think about ways in which I can
improve my teaching methods in order to better myself as a teacher. I have a passion for
history and I hope to instill in my students a similar love and appreciation of the content
area. An important part of my students learning experience is the classroom environment.
John Dewey also believed that the role of the teacher is to identify student needs and
interests and provide an educational environment that builds on them. I strongly believe
that it is my responsibility as a teacher to make the classroom a safe, open, and caring place
where the students can mature. As a teacher I will make it my personal goal to strive to be
the best possible educator that I can be.
The third part of the educational experience (besides teachers and students) is the
parents. As a teacher it is important for me to not only self reflect, and to consider feedback
from students, but also to speak to my students parents and ask them for feedback as to
what they think I could do to further motivate their children. If I take the time every day to
make sure that I am including all the elements I have discussed above than I am confident
that I can be a very effective teacher.