1. Table of content:
1. Introduction
2. Personal philosophy
3. Conclusion

2. 1. Introduction
“I believe, finally, that the teacher is engaged, not simply in the training of
individuals, but in the formation of the proper social life.”
(John Dewey, educational philosopher. 1987)
Having to come up with something as deep and meaningful as a personal
philosophy of education is extremely challenging. Should it be a policy
document that your future success and inevitable failures can be judged
against? Is it set in stone, never to be changed, forever constant? A
successful philosophy is my personal view and belief of teaching and my
commitment towards each and every learner that will pass through my class
room. It involves an effort from my side to clearly state my goals and the
purpose of education, furthermore it requires me to evaluate and reflect on my
views of learning. I need to discover and become aware of my role as
teacher, to develop styles of instruction to optimise learning. And reflect
critically on everything that may contribute and influence this philosophy.
My philosophy is and always will be in a constant state of flux, which is what
makes it such an important part of my journey in teaching. It is ever changing,
and because of this, it is [should] always relevant. I approach this task of
creating a personal philosophy with the understanding that it is a guide which
will develop over time, with this my first draft.

3. 2. Personal Philosophy of Education
“A teacher's personal philosophy of education is a critical element in his or her
approach to guiding children along the path of enlightenment.”
(Barbara L. Wilt, teacher. 2000)
I see teaching as an essential profession, on the same level as doctors,
scientists and intellectuals. It is fair to say that at some point, every genius
had a teacher, someone who taught them their ABCs or the theory of
relativity; no one was without a teacher, hence the importance that should be
place on the role of teacher as a high priority goal of education.
A second goal is to create an environment that facilitates and encourages
academic learning and debate, and stimulates the minds of each and every
student. It is my hope to not only teach through the content knowledge I have
on a certain subject methodology, but also by the way I live my life. It is my
goal to show learning as not a chore, rather that it is an exciting activity filled
with twists and turns, nut never boring, though it does involve hard work and
study.
It is also my goal to show teaching is less a job and more a life calling, a
constant dedication not only to the profession, but to the pupils and
communities we serve. We are custodians of knowledge, and the mentors
and guides to the future custodians. Therefore a purpose of education is to
conserve, keep safe and distribute information to anyone willing to listen,
keeping it relevant, using available media and technology, keeping education
inclusive and free to all.
It is important to understand that the experience of learner is not limited to the
class room or to the content given. The learner experiences a lot more during
school than just academic learning. Thus the school setting should consider
all influences and situations that could occur. It is therefore my view that
learning is a holistic experience, filled with a lot more than just content driven
information. Students learn tolerance, respect, and other ethical lessons, they

4. also learn negative traits within the class room, it is therefore very important
that I remember how I behaviour beyond what I say as it could be interpreted
and considered normal by my students.
I see my role as a facilitator rather than an instructor. I am a guide to
particular content knowledge but also a life coach and motivational speaker. I
influence beyond my field of expertise and am able to influence either
positively or negatively each of my students. I serve not only my profession,
but my community as so. I have a responsibility to each and every student, a
responsibility that each student’s has a fair and equal chance of succeeding,
considering each talent and obstacle, and developing instruction to suit each
unique situation.
Currently we exist in a social networking generation, with online sites such as
facebook and twitter keeping everyone connected and informed, and when
one adds the limitless possibility of the internet, information is available to
anyone with a cell phone and wireless connection. The World wide web is the
new class room, with information available 24/7.
To optimise learning, every student should have access to a computer,
preferably a laptop, with every school class room having Wifi connectivity.
Teaching should combine traditional modes of information distribution such as
books with technology such as cell phones and online media like blogs, wikis
and social network sites.
Schools could implement social networking and gaming principles like
creating intra-school network with each child creating a personalised profile
with access to blogs, forums, online media and online resources to expand
the teaching experience beyond the class room.
I hope to be a creative teacher using all the tools available to me and my
students to make learning fun and accessible, utilising the skills and know
how that most of my students should possess based on their personal
experience with everyday technologies such as cell phones and computers.

5. My personal philosophy is not immune to the outside world; my opinions and
view’s are affected by global perspectives and current affairs. It plays a role in
maintaining and grounding my ideas of teaching in the here and now. These
will change over time but at every stage will play an important role in my
personal philosophy.

6. 3. Conclusion
It is also important to consider how I affect that which I teach or my
Pedagogical content knowledge, the relationship between what I teach and
how I teach it. A successful personal philosophy incorporates my ideas or
views of learner, my goals and purpose of learner. It takes into consideration
my view of the role of the teacher and how to optimise learning. It is also
important to take into consideration the influences on my philosophy, and see
how they affect it.
I see the need to constantly return to this philosophy, to review it and alter it
based where I am in my professional and personal life. Initially my philosophy
with be filled with delusions of grandeur, especially because I have no prior
experience as a teacher. I am naïve with my view on teaching but I am also
passionate and driven to succeed. I hope that over time it will not become any
less enthusiastic, rather more matured and educated based on valuable work
experience. I hope to look back at this document in later this year, and be able
to make valuable changes that show I have developed as a teacher.