Statement of Educational Philosophy - Essay Example

Even if the best quality seed is sown in bad soil and neglected, it withers away. Edward Joyner of Yale University School said that ‘The development of a tree depends on where it is planted”. The same seed, planted in rich soil, if watered and fertilized and taken care of, sprouts and produced rich and luscious fruit. It is in this way that education of a child is to be perceived. It was John Dewey who compared the child to a plant and the teacher to a gardener. This is especially true of children in the lower school grade.

They are delicate in mind and body, extremely sensitive, like soft clay that would take any given shape. The shape that they take in this age is set for their lifetime. There is a need to handle them with gentleness and care. This is not the task of the teacher alone. The entire school atmosphere, the efforts of the team ranging from teachers to directors of the institution, the students and their parents, should all be directed towards the single goal of education. The term ‘education’ here is to be taken in its broadest sense, implying not just providing instruction and information, but the development of social, physical, emotional, intellectual, moral and spiritual aspects, and extending in these times to the ‘global’ aspect.

All these aspects are wide and varied, and naturally, cannot be fulfilled in the home setting, among parents and a handful of relatives. The school then, is to be like an expanded home, where experts in every field are appointed to make up for what parents alone cannot do. This does not eliminate the role of parents. Teachers, parents and society should all work together. At the same time, children are the national wealth, future human resource of their country. Hence the government also has an equally important role to play in the system of education.

It is up to the lower school director to co-ordinate the efforts of all these elements and harness them for the benefit of students. Another side of the picture is that all students come from different socio-economic backgrounds (almost 7 to 8 strata exist ranging from the very poor to the extremely rich). They have individual differences, different learning capacities, different aims, motivations, aptitudes and inclinations. Some also have physical disabilities. It is difficult but essential to treat them as equal, at the same time, catering to their individual needs.

A class should be conducted by two teachers at a time. While one explains, the other can assist with the teaching aids and ppt etc. Later, one of them should conduct separate remedial classes for the weaker students. Simultaneously, the other teacher should go deeper into the same topic with the academically brighter students. In this way, the needs of both groups can be fulfilled. Marva Collins said, that the good teacher makes te poor students good and the good students superior. The school provides a wider and more varied social environment compared to a family.

Group projects, team games, co-operative learning methods must be introduced. Socialization of children can be taken care of and maladjustment in future can be prevented. This is extremely important considering the fast and easy means of communication. One or two handicapped children must be placed in each class at least for a couple of sessions. This kind of