EDU-200: Philosophy of Education Assignment
Due Date: _______________________________
Worth: 100 points
This assignment will allow you to articulate your own philosophy of education and organize the
bits and pieces of a lifetime of being a student and observing the world around you. By bringing
your philosophy of education to a conscious level, thinking carefully about it, challenging your
assumptions, and organizing your ideas into a written statement, you will have a solid foundation
on which to begin teaching. A well-developed sense of purpose, values, and underlying beliefs
about teaching and learning will help to maintain focus throughout your teaching career.
To complete this assignment, think about your own approach and experiences in education.
Make a list of all of the things that are important to you as a student and to you as a teacher or
future teacher. Consider why you think these elements are important. What will you do as a
teacher to ensure that these important factors are present in your classroom and are reflected in
your instructional strategies and classroom-management techniques?
Read about the major philosophies of education: Essentialism, Perennialism, Progressivism, and
Social Reconstructionism. There are others, but these four represent a broad range of general
recognized educational philosophies and should serve as a good starting place by which you will
build your own. Explore philosophies that match your beliefs.
Write a paper in which you discuss your beliefs in terms of the four philosophies, and explain
which of these resonates with you the most and why. Your paper should be well structured and
logically organized to demonstrate how your teaching philosophy (i.e., values and beliefs) relates
to what you will do in the classroom (e.g., instructional strategies, use of technology, role of
collaboration, types of discipline, respectful rapport). This 500 – 700 word paper should
describe your core beliefs about teaching and learning and how these beliefs will be enacted in
the classroom. To support your ideas, please provide specific examples and connect these to at
least 1-2 specific philosophies discussed unit 3, lesson 1.
Include a References Page. Remember to cite any sources in APA format that you used to help
you develop your ideas or that inspired your teaching philosophy.
Original content contributed by Howard Miller of Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, New York to Kaleidoscope Open Course
Initiative.