Philosophy of Education EDUC210
Principals want to know your philosophy of education. Our in-class discussions, reading
assignments, and short essays should have gotten you thinking about your personal
philosophy of education. In this paper I would like you to state your beliefs about teaching
and learning. There are five key elements that you must include in the paper, and they are
listed below with some guiding questions. Use a narrative style for your essay – not bullet
points or short answers to the guiding questions. You may use an informal conversational
style of writing if you’d like, but I am expecting a well-structured and well-written essay.
Your paper should be double-spaced, be written in 12point font, and be 3-5 pages in length.
When you use sources (S&Z Chapter 6), include citations in a bibliography at the end of the
essay. These will be peer-edited prior to the due date.
Remember: You can visit the University Writing Center for help with format, spelling and
grammar.
1. The purpose of education, including the roles of teachers, students, and the
curriculum
a. What is the purpose of education?
b. What is your role as a teacher? What is the role of the student?
c. How should the curriculum be developed? Who gets to decide?
2. Student learning and achievement
a. What is your definition of learning?
b. How do you know when a student has learned something?
c. How do you believe student achievement should be measured / reported?
3. The classroom environment
a. What are the major elements of an effective classroom conducive to
learning?
b. What activities, methods, and materials are present in an effective
classroom?
c. What might a visitor see in an effective classroom?
4. The significance of diversity and specific strategies or ideas for meeting individual
5 points for peer-editing
25 points total