Philosophy of Education
Jacqueline Lewis
EDU 360 Philosophy of Education
Professor Tobin
August 4, 2008
Introduction
Children will be successful students providing their teacher is a successful educator. This paper will discuss the importance of educators to motivate and encourage their students to become successful students. Teachers are important role models in the lives of their students. Students look to their teachers for guidance and acceptance in the classroom. Teachers of the philosophy of progressivism help children to develop problem-solving and decision-making skills that can provide skills that they will utilize when venturing into adulthood and facing day-to-day life in society.
My Educational Philosophy
Progressivism is a philosophy of education that focuses on real-world problem-solving activities in a democratic and cooperative learning environment (Webb, Metha, & Jordan, 2007). The purpose of schooling for the progressivist teacher is to prepare their students to be operational in society; the school should encourage cooperation, not competition, and develop problem-solving and decision-making skills (Webb, Metha, & Jordan, 2007). Children need to be motivated in order to learn these aspects. However, it is up to the teacher to make sure that their students are motivated. Exceptional teachers guide their students to greatness by inspiring them to discover where their talents and passions intersect (Bowman, 2007). For the besieged classroom teacher, however, the desire to motivate students often springs from a place of self-concern: “I want to change your behavior with a reward or incentive, so that, if you meet the targets or goals I set for you, this will help me meet my own needs and goals” (Bowman, 2007). Although motivation and morale are important to performance in the classroom , the query is misplaced because students and faculty in diverse settings are already highly motivated to perform well...