Philosophy of Education

Learning happens at every age, regardless of the person's developmental level or physical surroundings. Many people become educated in matters of basic survival. Many others educate themselves in book learning, physical activities, or spiritual exercises. But the one thing in common is that nobody truly stops learning, not even if that person has nearly reached the end of life. Therefore, there are always places for educators, whether they're teaching in schools, busineses, retirement homes, or on the street.

Within the classroom, education must have structure and consistency, especially in the elementary grades. Life is chaotic, and to provide structure in the classroom means providing stability for the entire class. Structure is defined as set procedures and rules that remain the same day after day. Within these procedures and rules, the students are given freedom to explore their own questions. However, freedom to explore does not mean freedom to behave as the student wishes. The procedures set in place govern the students' behavior as well as methods used to explore.

Lessons should be set up to overcome the three barriers to learning (lack of mass, too steep a gradient, and misunderstood words). New and unfamiliar words should be defined (this is especially important in a bilingual classroom), physical objects should be provided, and students should be allowed to set their own pace. These set the groundwork for any type of learning, from beginning to read to understanding derivations and acceleration.

Students should be in charge of their own learning. They need to be aware that they can control what and how they learn. The teacher, then, is the facilitator of that learning.