What I’m Thinking About Now: My Statement of Educational Philosophy

Statements of Philosophy are works in progress, as all of us are works in progress. At best, they can provide a snapshot of the current state of development of the practitioner. My current thinking is that the ultimate goal of education, in all its forms, is to help people touch the pinnacle of the human experience, Maslow calls it “self-actualization”. In Bloom’s Taxonomy, the zenith is creativity. Reaching the tops of both triangles is possibly an unreachable goal, but I think it describes the endeavor of education, and illustrates why we continually strive, change, analyse and frankly, suffer, for our art.

We are models first, and so we must carefully create and impart a culture where students see themselves, accept each other and reach for their life’s work. Creating an intentional community where everyone belongs requires continual reflection; analyzing ourselves and our systems to remove barriers to learning that are detrimental to its community, (first, do no harm). As we honor we also empower our students, they will guide and support the community to benefit them and the future. The student-teacher relationship is at the core of the learning experience. The teacher models and embraces all experiences as learning opportunities, guides learners to see themselves in their work, to encounter difficult problems with humor, interest, and without fear. Their care for student’s development is unshakable and rooted in understanding human and pedagogical development allowing teachers to create flexible, reflective, student-centered learning experiences.

The academic structures and philosophical tools that are most useful align with student success. Strong practitioners balance consistency and care and shift practices in response to new research or student needs. Thus, the structures I see as effective in schools include; personalized learning, constructivist models, guided inquiry, project based learning, metacognition, goal setting, reflection & feedback, skill-based assessment & instruction, open curricula, place-based learning, reading broadly, responsive teaching, formative assessment, developmentally appropriate systems & schedules, parent education & support, mentoring models (leadership-teacher, student-teacher, student-student), and a focus on wellbeing of the community.

Students are available to reach peak performance when they are physiologically and psychologically safe, loved, and belong. When students are able to integrate their learning authentically into their lives, to find and employ their unique strengths and interests. They are inspired by their own learning, their learning community, their relationships with their peers, parents, and teachers. Schools must embrace goals they may never reach- and keep everyone centered on the work of creating our best selves so that we in turn, can create a better future.