MRS. WORDEN'S EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
As an educator I am faced with significant and persistent questions throughout my career: Why did I become and why do I remain an educator? What am I doing as an educator and does it make a difference? How do my actions and behavior as an educator affect my students, not only today, but throughout their lives? What is the meaning and purpose of educating another person? What do I teach and why do I teach it? These were questions that were presented to me as I read Philosophical and Ideological Voices in Education by Gerald L. Gutek. While studying Art Education in undergraduate school at University of North Dakota, I of course had pondered these questions before choosing a career path, but not in a philosophical light to dig deeper into myself I would have to learn the basics of my thoughts and beliefs. When working with philosophical questions, we are concerned with what is true, good, and beautiful to all: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Axiology, and Logic (Gutek, 2004, p. 3).
My first insight into philosophy was fortified through a story out of Plato's famous book; The Republic: Allegory of the Cave. Socrates is explaining a fable to illustrate what it's like to be a philosopher, a lover of wisdom, to his young follower- Glaucon. Most people, including ourselves, live in a world of relative ignorance. We are even comfortable with that ignorance, because it is all we know. When we first start facing truth, the process may be frightening, and many people run back to their old lives. But if you continue to seek truth, you will eventually be able to handle it better. Once you've tasted the truth, you won't ever want to go back to being ignorant (Stevensen,1994-2000). I believe this was the best article to begin my educational philosophical knowledge, in understanding that being in the dark" or “being numb" (Greene, 1977) is not the ideal way to live.
I believe everyone strives to be an idealist to be “perfect" is a desirable goal, but human beings may not attain perfection. To be the best person possible is to be willing to struggle to find the truth, and wise enough to live according to it (Gutek, 2004, p. 15). As an educator I have high expectations and set high standards for my students. I believe students’ need someone to have faith that they can succeed and to push them to their highest potential. Each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. Providing an environment that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invites a sharing of ideas is a great way to help students reach personal success.
For students to have passion for the future they need to understand and embrace their past experiences. Teachers also need to understand every child has personal experiences and an outside of school lives. Realists have a practical understanding and acceptance of the world, rather than an idealized or romanticized version of it (Gutek, 2004, p. 35). Aristotle established a philosophical school in Athens and founded Realism, emphasizing the observation and classification of natural phenomena. That means educators have to accommodate having multiple ways to teach students, because students do not learn in the same manner or at the same pace. Every day is going to be different and being strong and also compassionate is tough, but realistic. Art education is like no other subject I have the flexibility to modify my lesson plans and due dates for those students and give them the extra attention they need, while also pushing the accelerated students to their highest potential and creativity. I am able to set my own power-benchmarks according to each subject and class intensities, allowing students to explore every medium through the elements and principles of art.
As a Christian I believe Thomist’s beliefs are accurate in that a supernatural and benevolent God created the world and all beings in it, and established the laws, patterns, and regularities that govern the universe (Gutek, 2004, p. 53) Aquinas defined education as the life-Iong process of advancing individuals to spiritual and intellectual excellence in the virtuous life (Donohue, 1%8). Education is a lifelong process, which involves many different social activities, such as family, church, education, and acquaintances. The separation of church and state eliminates the factor for educators to share beliefs in school, but it doesn't abolish the choice for students and educators to complement their lives and intellectual excellence with their religion of choice.
When the teacher's role is to guide, providing access to information rather than acting as the primary source of information, the students' search for knowledge is met as they learn to find answers to their questions. For students to construct knowledge, they need the opportunity to discover for themselves and practice skills in authentic situations. Providing students' access to be creative with the different mediums/artist's coinciding with the lesson creates an opportunity for the students to discover and gain knowledge. It is equally important to study subjects that are meaningful and relevant to one's life and interests. My curriculum is developed around student interests fostering intrinsic motivation and stimulates the passion to learn. Through inviting student dialog through artist statements and presentations takes learning in a direction relevant to student interest When students have ownership in the curriculum, they are motivated to work hard and master the skills necessary to reach their goals.
Creativity is the highest form of organized thought (Holen, 2012). Dewey was a very insightful Pragmatist He said the school is not a single-purpose institution with a well-defined primary purpose, it is rather a multipurpose social institution connected to and related to the society of which it is part He is saying that you do not have to stay within the four walls of the schools that separate us from the rest of the culture and society, rather open the doors to the larger society, the community (Gutek, 2004, p. 76). I believe the best way to learn is to be directly placed where the subject it is that you are learning. People and kids remember field trips and movies better then lectures and conversations. Wouldn't life be perfect if when we are learning about Leonardo Da Vinci's works of art we could be in Italy?
"Knowing for Existentialists is basically an epistemology of appropriation, in which the person comes to an area of knowledge and chooses what she or he wants to take from it and make their own" (Gutek, 20M, p. 91). I artistically portrayed how I believe I exist in this world- how I became who/what I am, how I choose to be, what is my purpose, and does my life make a difference- through a collage of oil paints and images. I began by gathering images of people and parts of my life that I believe to be important to my existence.
I strive to be compassionate to everyone I encounter, and remind myself to do unto others as I would like done unto me. I try to make the best out of every situation & endeavor to bring happiness and joy to others. Written within the images I have the prayer “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference- Reinhold Niebuhr" to look at for strength and is a piece of art I have displayed at home.
I believe the people and events that I have encountered in my life made me not only exist, but grow. The artistic metaphor I used was growth & existence threw God and Nature. In the middle of the canvas I have a cross symbolizing God is the center of me and my existence. Threw him he made my roots, represented as the images of my ancestors growing in him. Extending are the branches as I encounter achievements, milestones, and challenges. The branches also consist of the people I cherish in my life as they also effect who I am.
I displayed my emotions of the images through seasons. Fall represents the challenging part of my life, although it's my favorite season and those trials made me who I am today, those leaves have changed colors and fallen off my branches. Spring represents the parts of my life when I began to blossom and find myself. Summer represents my life in full bloom, mostly embracing family and friends, and my careers and hobbies, leaving room to continually grow. Existentialism is a belief that I exist in an indifferent world and constantly face the inevitable and will disappear, I believe I am responsible for choosing who I am and what I want to be- an educator. uTo exist means to be involved in making choices that range from the mundane, to the ridiculous, to the profound. Thus, we live in the paradox- I make no difference, but I can make a difference" (Morris, 1966).
The ideology of Liberalism is a good way to look at the progression of education. As I stated in page two of this document each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. Providing an environment that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invites a sharing of ideas is a great way to help students reach personal success. I believe kids need structure and an instructor to guide them through learning, but progress is possible and desirable in all subjects. Every subject is developing in the present and kids should be learning about the current events in the world as well as the past occurrences.
Conservatives emphasize to respect the past, through culture and tradition people build a sense of identity and meaning. I believe the mix of the ideologies is what could make a great learning institution. I reiterate my Realist statement, for students to have passion for the future they need to understand and embrace their past Teachers also need to understand every child has personal experiences and an outside of school lives. I believe in the combination of a multi-functional and flexible approach to fit changing social needs and problems, as well as core academic standards is a great way to approach the students of today. Students also need to understand hard work and dedication are the first steps to academic success.
WORKS CITED
Dewey, John. Haw We Think. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1997.
Donohue, John W. S.J. (1968). St. Thomas Aquinas & Education. New York: Random House. pp.59-60.
Gutek, Gerald Lee. (2004). Philosophical and Ideological Voices in Education. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Greene, Maxine. (1977). Taward Wule-Awakeness: An Argument for the Art and humanities in Education (Vol. 79, Number 1). Teachers College, Columbia University.
Holen, Dr. Jodi Bergland (2012). T&L 540 Theory & Philosophy of Curriculum in Schools. North Dakota: UND.
Morris, Van Oeve. (1966). Existentialism in Education. New York: Harper & Row. Stevensen, D. D. (1994- 2000).
The Internet Oassics Archive, Web Atomics. World Wule Web Presentation. Retrieved from http://classics.mitedu/Plato/republic.mb.txt.