Introduction to Philosophy of Education EDU 224 | Newberry College

Intro to Philosophy How does philosophy impact our daily lives? What is a philosophy of education? What does it include? How does a teacher’s philosophy play out in his/her classroom? What is your philosophy of education?

Philosophy – our underlying beliefs – guide everything we do. What do you do when you have a late assignment? Which is more important – family or friends? Which is more important – marriage or career? How do you respond when someone disrespects you? What team do you support? Is life a journey or a game? What are the qualities of a perfect partner? When you are overwhelmed what do you let slide?

Activity #1 Based on your answers to the questions on the previous slide, write a paragraph (7-10 sentences) about your life philosophy. What do you believe about people, behavior, relationships, goals, what’s important, etc?

We each have a philosophy, though we may not know it. Recognizing our underlying beliefs makes us more self-aware and allows us to make choices. This is especially important for teachers.

Philosophy of Education What is the purpose of education? What content and skills should be taught? Who should get what content and/or skills? How should content be taught? What are the proper roles of students and teachers? How should learning be measured? Your philosophy will determine not only what you do in the classroom, but how you respond to difficulty, and whether or not you will stay in education.

Background for the next activity You are going to watch three videos about three different first-year teachers. These are Teach for America (TFA) teachers who were filmed teaching in New Orleans after Katrina for a documentary series called “The Real World of Teach for America.”

Go to of-teach-for-america-the-series/3669/ of-teach-for-america-the-series/3669/ For each of these teachers, reflect and write about how their beliefs affected how they set up the learning environment, responded to students, and dealt with difficulty. Colleston Morgan – “The Realist” (7:51) Jeylan Erman – “The Perfectionist” (5:48) Zitsi Mirakhur – “The Pragmatist” (5:47) Activity #2

Activity #3 What’s in your wallet? Complete the Inventory of Philosophies of Education.

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