Philosophy of Education.

As a grad student, I have to piece together a professional portfolio. The personal section must include my philosophy of education. I've been working on my draft:

Education is one of the most pressing civil rights issues of our time. Therefore, my philosophy of education is grounded in my passion for social justice. I believe, like most people, that a quality education should be a right granted to all children. For some, what this looks like is tangible. For some, a quality education is cultivated in a room with the newest technology, text books without creases, sunlight beaming through freshly cleaned windows and a teacher’s cabinet boasting a surplus of supplies. My idea of a quality education is built upon what happens in the classroom – the relationship of reciprocity between teacher and student.

A quality education starts with a healthy community of eager learners and culturally responsive educators. Education should be valued by students, purposeful and engaging. Students should be aware of the reasons they would benefit by knowing a given standard, which requires teachers to create lessons that are relevant. In my discussions with students in urban schools, many of them are able to regurgitate the rhetoric of testing – vs. giving contextual reasons for why we learn.

I believe that quality education helps students pass tests, but it should not be the only production goal. Unfortunately, I believe that in some urban schools, the focus on standardized tests is often at the expense of a quality education.

I will be a teacher who inspires and fosters meaningful relationships with all of my students. I will be a teacher who works within a system defined by racism and classism to create results that defy oppressive stereotypes and negative expectations. The classroom environment will cultivate students who value education as a continuum. My students will think critically. They will be unafraid to challenge ideas that are unjust. They will be empathetic and fair. My students will embrace values that epitomize freedom + peace + respect + love. My students will pride both academic achievement and character development. They will see themselves as part of the global community and be engaged in learning, creating, thinking, and changing our world.