PHILOSOPHY STATEMTENT Philosophy Statement 1

Philosophy Statement
Rutler, Katlyn
EDUC 201
Foundations of Education
Instructor: Egbert










PHILOSOPHY STATEMTENT Philosophy Statement 2

Philosophy Statement
In our book it talks about four main educational philosophies, which are
Perennialism, Essentialism, Progressivism, and Social Reconstructionism. Every teacher
has their own preference as to which philosophy matches their style of teaching.
The philosophy in the book that best describes my personality is the philosophy of
Essentialism. Students being taught discipline, hard work, and respect for others and
authority are aspects within this philosophy that are in alignment with my belief system
of teaching.
According to my philosophical beliefs, all schools should teach curriculum that will
provide the basic skills needed in todays world. Reading, writing, mathematics, science,
and social studies also known as Back to Basics, fit into this style of teaching. This
would allow students to have a solid foundation of the basic skills they need to further
build upon. To achieve higher education, the Essentialism philosophy states that it is
crucial students are taught the basic skills of all five subjects.
The teachers role is to manage the learning environment so students may effectively
learn the basic skills needed for success. This means, however, the students role is to
apply and master the knowledge and skills that are taught; which is clearly stated from
the Essentialism philosophy.
I learn best by visual examples. I have discovered certain concepts about my learning
styles, and they are as follows; I was able to learn Algebra by looking at examples and
the answers to the problems in the book and from that I learned the correct steps to follow
to reach the correct answer. I have also learned that I am not a strong reader. Subject
material should be taught using lectures, questioning, practice and feedback. This should
PHILOSOPHY STATEMTENT Philosophy Statement 3

be partially decided by the student, because of their interests and partially by the teacher,
do to her curriculum. This is stated in Essentialism philosophy.
In conclusion, education is like the foundation of a home. It is the essential part of
construction because without the foundation you do not have a sold structure to build
upon. In education, if you do not have the basic skills, the foundation, you can not build
upon and have a solid understanding.