My educational philosophy is something superficial but can be achieved. It can be called the Avengers, the Powerpuff Girls, the F4, or my mother’s take on adobo of all possible educational philosophy that I can come up with. I desire to put all the strengths cited in all the philosophical perspectives that I came across in this course. Again, superficial, but for me, it can be actualized. At the bottom of this, I am leaning to progressivism work in progress, social reconstructionist in the making as well.
The curriculum should always include the great ideas of time and explain why there are ideas that did not survive as well. History should be thought as it happened. Grass roots actors should be given the same limelight that the key characters have to themselves. As a History major and most definitely a History teacher in the near future, I will always forward this teaching philosophy as I believe that as we teach the past, the lessons we get from it is and will always be applicable in our present situation and do not let history, especially those periods who brought out the worst in mankind, won’t happen again. Given this premise, education should always be directed outside the classroom. Give the students the opportunity to make the world a better place and are not locked up to digest what is being given to them all the time. Experiencing the reality outside the 4 corners of the school will make them feel more human, as for me. I really like the idea of community immersion and this is something I will most likely to apply in my teaching. This form of instruction gives the students to test their hypothesis on any given social phenomena and is also a platform to challenge what they already know. I want to become a student of my future students as they share their learning and experiences with me.
Education should also be inclusive and always remember those who are not able to go to start or even finish education. There is a program in my former high school where a portion of the students’ tuition fee sends a scholar to the same school at night. They are being taught the way the regular students are. I never saw this move as “alms giving” (which is also not bad as it is practical) but as an outreach program that empowers the youth that there is always good in the poverty-stricken society that they live in. This emancipation leads the scholars to pay it forward that they begin to change their society one day at a time. This is something that made me proud as a student in that school for 12 years of my life. Little did I know that I helped high school students from my community graduate and only god knows if they are more well-off that most of us do. For me, this is the goal of education and the role of the school – for the students to become the change they want to be. A little charity may go a long way but educational benefactors should not rely on this alone. Private and the public sector should pay equal attention to education especially now that we are in the midst of K to 12 implementation. Teamwork is the name of the game.
Some may say that the most significant learning is not in the lessons you read itself but from the reflections. Philosophy in relation to education is something that do not come to us handy. Practice, reflective teaching, and professional development are definite factors that contribute to acquiring such. Well, of course, aside from the additional learning in my philosophy arsenal way back in college, this course is a test of character for me – starting from individual tasks to group tasks. Time management was on demand more than ever. It was a test that I think I passed.
Meraki 