LNT STUDENT
PHILOSOPHY OF
EDUCATION
LNT-501
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
In my thirty years of life, I have had the opportunity to learn in a variety of environments and styles.
Out of these experiences, some have left me with a positive, lasting notion of the importance and
joy of learning while others, having been either negative or fleeting, have served to aid me in
defining what ideas and theories constitute my personal philosophy of education.
The Significance Of Life Experience And Empirical Data
The decision to pursue my Master’s Degree with the University Of Illinois at Springfield’s LNT
program has required me to honestly assess and adopt an approach to education that best suits
my personal needs. When I consider learning experiences that have motivated me to pursue a
course of study in animal welfare and ethics issues, a pattern of personal interactions with animals
emerges as having made the greatest impressions upon my malleable mind. The knowledge I
gained by caring for my childhood pets, reading books about animals, and participating in activities
that involved animals (including but not limited to visits to zoos, museums, and nature parks), was
absorbed by me first-hand and subsequently instilled in me a deep and abiding affection for nonhuman animals. For this reason, I firmly believe personal exposure and empirical data are of
paramount importance in the educational process. Igniting a student’s interest in a particular field
is most often successful when the student herself is able to assign personal significance to the
learning experience. I can confidently call myself a student of life experience and feel fortunate to
have been gifted the opportunities to care for and come into direct contact with animals who
touched my heart and offered me a lifelong passion for learning.
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PHILOSOPHY OF
EDUCATION
LNT-501
Teachers Exist In Many Forms: Looking Beyond Conventional Teacher-Student Educational Models
LNT STUDENT
Throughout my formative years, I excelled academically within the formal setting of the public
school system, although I often disliked what I perceived to be a structurally flawed relationship
between teachers and students. Carl Rogers touches upon the student-teacher relationship I
experienced from my elementary education up to and including my high school years. Rogers
notes conventional education includes a model where teachers possess knowledge that they
impart to students. Students play the role of the eager pupils, waiting to absorb the teachers’
expertise and knowledge. In this model, there is a clear delineation between teachers and
students. Instructors enjoy status level greater than that of their students. While I acknowledge
the value in receiving information from others who have achieved expertise in a field of study, I do
not believe the best learning experiences are always those delivered via a conventional
educational format. Peers, role models, and professionals can often serve as effective teachers in
environments outside of formal classroom settings. I enjoyed an enriching learning experience
during my work as a veterinary technician in a veterinary hospital. My fellow technicians and the
practice’s owner and head veterinarian taught me a wide array of lessons ranging from practical
animal care to fostering helpful relationships with human beings and animal owners. Again, this
example emphasizes my belief that life experience is often the greatest teacher we can hope to
learn from, but it also illustrates the need to recognize the value in non-traditional learning
environments. Teachers can be all around us; whether they are co-workers, personal role models,
or peers. In my personal experience, non-human animals have been some of the most powerful
teachers I have had the good fortune to learn from. I do not seek to completely discount the
relevance of conventional teacher-student relationships. However, I prefer to adopt a broader view
of whom and what can serve as a teacher within the context of an educational experience.
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LNT STUDENT
PHILOSOPHY OF
EDUCATION
LNT-501
Rogers also notes that in conventional education models, teachers (who are in possession of
power and authority), exercise little trust in their students. In this scenario, constant supervision of
students is necessary to insure satisfactory academic progress. My educational philosophy does
not stand in agreement with a learning environment that lacks trust. In fact, I find distrust to be a
terrible point from which to begin any type of endeavor. I speak, of course, for myself. I
understand that in certain age ranges and groups of students, placing complete trust in the
students to complete their assigned work can be naïve. During high school, students are often
compelled to direct their attention elsewhere and neglect their schoolwork without prompting and/or
negative consequences imposed by policy or the instructor. However, when a teacher trusts me to
complete my work without the use of micromanagement, I feel empowered, and in turn, a greater
sense of respect develops between me and the teacher. By allowing me to take responsibility for
my assigned work, a teacher is implying that they view me as a capable, self-motivated, and
dependable student. My confidence grows exponentially when I enjoy a mutually respectful
learning environment. Fear of teachers as authority figures has never proven to yield my best
work. In fact, the opposite occurs. To achieve my best work, I need to find my teacher(s)
approachable and engaging. Distrust breeds a level of division between all relationships. For
students to flourish and achieve their potential, I advocate for learning environments that extend
respect to both the teacher and student. Respect implies trust in my educational philosophy. Why
approach a learning situation from the negative attitude disrespect and distrust produces?
E.Q.: The Value Of Emotion In The Learning Process
My philosophy of education includes room for emotional intelligence. Traditional educational
environments often neglect to promote the role emotional investment adds to the learning process.
When I am emotionally drawn to a field of study or subject matter, I tend to excel at committing
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LNT STUDENT
PHILOSOPHY OF
EDUCATION
LNT-501
related information to mind. Throughout my career as a student, my genuine respect and
emotional attraction to non-human animals benefited me in the classroom. As an undergraduate
student studying animal science, I found it was much easier and enjoyable to learn new information
about canine nutrition because I experienced deep emotional bonds with dogs throughout my life.
The emotional component of learning should never be ignored. This is also important when we
consider the role of appropriate emotional support in educational programs. Promoting healthy
emotional constitutions in each student results in a supportive and safe learning environment. Safe
learning environments allow students to ask questions without fear of rejection or ridicule.
Supportive faculty members, peers, and staff can help to facilitate a safe learning experience that
plays an integral role in a student’s level of achievement within his/her area of study. I am a strong
proponent for allowing a natural sense of humanity to be a part of the educational process. Often
what we learn transcends tangible facts and data and reveals to us new personal strengths and
discoveries. No material value can be assigned to enjoying a sense of self-realization,
achievement, and confidence.
Conclusion
As for learning itself, I feel there is a vast world of information and experiences that will continue to
intersect my life’s path. Outcomes of learning experiences may not always be what I expect, but
there is always something to be gleaned from both processes and results. In summation, my
philosophy of education emphasizes the role of personal life experience, recognizing that teachers
come in many forms, fostering a mutually supportive and respectful teacher-student relationship,
and willingness to grant relevance and value to the role emotional investment plays in our learning
processes.
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