Why did you become a teacher?
Whether it’s in a job interview or a dinner with friends, chances are you’ve been asked some version of that question. But it’s not always an easy question to answer!
Creating a personal philosophy of education can help you articulate your approach to teaching in a clear, concise way. It can also help you express why you think being a teacher is so important.
Whether you’re deciding on a course of action in your classroom or answering interview questions, an educational philosophy can help you make sure you’re sticking close to what matters most to you.
A philosophy of education is a set of beliefs and guiding principles for teachers. It helps you make decisions about how you teach your students.
It’s also a useful tool when it comes time to communicate your beliefs to other people, including:
Creating a philosophy of education is a great way to set teaching goals for yourself, and can even help you identify areas for further professional development .
Some educational philosophies are short and sweet, while others are one to two pages long and have more detail. Shorter versions are appropriate for a quick summary on a classroom website or resume.
Every teacher is different — and so are their educational philosophies!
Dr. Josh Prieur, director of educational efficacy at Prodigy Education, notes that “as you develop your philosophy of education, a best practice is to lean on research-based best practices and understand how to leverage technology and other resources appropriately.”
His advice is to think of the big picture and imagine all the things surrounding a student, whether it’s social and emotional learning , promoting equity in the classroom or integrating technology .
As a teacher, you should be able to articulate the research and theories you believe in. “You’ll write many educational philosophies, and you should constantly revisit them,” says Prieur. “ It really is fundamental to who you are as an educator .”
We also asked teachers who use Prodigy what their educational philosophies are. Here’s what they said:
“Every student is capable of learning. Parents and teachers are a team working together for their child’s education. Inquiry and discovery are the basis for lifelong learning. These are things that I believe, without them, teaching would be ineffective or pointless!” |Samantha H., teacher
“My educational philosophy is to guide students to be independent learners who have a lifelong desire to learn and use a growth mindset.” |Diana C.,teacher
“I believe the purpose of education is to ensure all students learn and grow to the best of their ability. I believe students learn best when they are shown exactly how to do something and are given a path to follow. Also, students learn through their learning style and as an educator it’s my job to teach them using all three learning styles.” |Carrie H., teacher
Most teachers don’t subscribe to only one hard-lined philosophy in practice. Taking ideas from a few different schools of thought can help strengthen and balance your teaching approach.
Because there are so many different facets to teaching, many teachers have teaching statements made up of several paragraphs, with each paragraph organized around a key idea.
As you progress in your teaching career, it’s natural for your beliefs and attitudes to change . Revisit your educational philosophy frequently to make sure it’s still up to date and aligned with your current practices.
You know how you want to teach, but it’s not always easy to articulate your beliefs in writing. We’ve put together a list of questions you can ask yourself to help clarify your view and provide a starting point for your own teaching philosophy.
Your philosophy of education doesn’t have to answer every single question. But it should give a big-picture perspective on who you are as a teacher, and what you value.
At Prodigy Education, we’re always working to define our approach to education and our beliefs about how we can support students, teachers and parents to help them learn best.
Prodigy’s educational philosophy centers around using motivation as an anchor for building a lifelong life of learning. Here’s how we’re doing it:
When students are excited to learn, they’re more likely to persevere through new skills and hard problems. Prodigy is designed to help students stay focused through a game-based learning platform that makes practicing math skills fun.
Learn more about Prodigy’s “Motivation First” approach to learning here.
To maximize student motivation, Prodigy uses research-based pedagogical approaches to put learners at the center of everything we do, whether it’s:
Our approach to personalized learning combines an adaptive algorithm with teacher tools that help you differentiate math practice in just a few clicks, so the individual needs of students are always front and center.
An educator’s work is never done — and neither is your educational philosophy!
To make sure your philosophy reflects current best practices, your own learning and new research or technology, seek out information from subject matter experts and other teachers:
When your educational philosophy is aligned with what you’re doing in your classroom, everyone benefits — including your students!
Prodigy Math Game is an adaptive, game-based learning platform that offers time-saving tools for teachers. Easily differentiate, motivate and assess learning when you sign up for your free teacher account today.