William La Pietra

Philosophy of Education
EDUC 300
The Purpose of Education
Education, at its most fundamental core, is about forming minds to be inquisitive and
creative, supplying tools for students to use in learning, and giving a fundamental basis of
knowledge with opportunity for student-driven expansion and growth. While not all students will
have an extensive knowledge of post-tonal music theory or 18th century literature in Eastern
Europe, all students should have roots in the core basics, as well as a foreign language and the
arts. Two historical schools that were particularly formative for this philosophy were Benjamin
Franklins school, founded in 1751, and John Deweys influence on schools in the late 1800s
(Sadker and Zittleman, 2012). These schools were prime examples of educational facilities that
provided core knowledge and simultaneously allowed for students to grow beyond the basics.
Because of the flexible nature of my philosophy, I wouldnt say that it is static on a studentcentered to teacher-centered or essentialist to existentialist spectrum, but rather transverses
these imaginary scales with the progression of the students growth and education. As the
students move through the basic academic structure in lower grades, they begin a transition to a
more student-driven education in their later years and beyond. In this way, the students gradually
shift their learning environment from essentialist to existentialist, from being teacher-oriented
and focused on a wide, general understanding of fundamentals to a student-centered and tailored
experience fitted to each individual student. This is especially effective because it allows

students to develop earlier a concept of what theyd like to study in further education or to
prepare more specifically for a career they will choose to pursue.
Curriculum: What Should Be Taught and Why?
In the selection of primary curriculum, a wide diversity of topics would be crucial. Math,
science, English, and social studies would naturally all be included. Additionally, though, foreign
languages, trade skills, and the arts would all have to be introduced. Through their studies of
these subjects, students would gradually develop skills in independent learning, academic
research, effective communication, and a drive to learn. The core curriculum should provide a
germinating point for students to discover their own interests and provide insight into the basic
skills and knowledge needed for whatever education and/or career they chose to follow. This will
be crucial as their educational careers develop, as the students will begin to direct and create
their own personal curriculum in later years. Due to the considerable breadth of topics spanned
in this curriculum, the key to presenting it would be interdisciplinary education. Teaching time is
limited, but finding effective ways to combine subjects and learning allows for more material to
be conveyed. Additionally, this interdisciplinary approach allows students who struggle with
specific subjects to learn the material in different contexts (Wiggins, 2015). This will be
especially effective for children with certain learning disabilities for example, a student who
struggles in math might find that learning a song about multiplication tables is much easier than
trying to memorize a chart of multiplication pairs. This educational structure will also help give
students from lower socio-economic backgrounds more opportunities to explore options that may
not be currently available in their schools. By incorporating the arts and trade skills into the core
curriculum used at a younger age and enabling further growth in older years, poverty will ideally
no longer prevent any student from learning about them.

Nature of the Learner

Throughout this educational process, students will continually take more responsibility
for their own education. In younger grades, the level of responsibility will be fairly low,
including the regular responsibilities of doing homework, participating in class, etc. As the
student grows older, though, they begin to steer their education in a more specific direction. At
this point, the transition to more student-centered learning requires the student to decide what
they will learn, how they will learn it, and even parts of how they will evaluate their learning.
Setting up the progression of learning preset material to self-dictating what material will be
learned and then following through is critical. Learning does not stop with the end of formal
education, and teaching students to sustain their own learning is crucial for college and postcollegiate work. This being stated, standards will be shifted to accommodate students with
special needs or disabilities. The progression to student-directed learning will be a goal, but it
will also be understood that students may follow that curve at different paces depending on their
needs and abilities.
With this process of gradually taking more control of their education, students should
adjust the manner with which they deal with their peers and teachers accordingly. While teachers
should always maintain a position of respect, their role as an authority figure should develop into
the role of an esteemed peer as the student ages. In elementary years, students should be asking
teachers to use the restroom and so on, but by high school, this should not be the case. There
should be a mutual respect between teacher and student that lends itself more to discussion than
lecture. Likewise, along with the friendships students form, there should be working academic
relationships. Teachers should feel free to allow students to form discussion groups in middle
years and begin to leave the students to direct conversations about literature or art in these

groups. Students should feel, by later years, that there is a nexus of peers surrounding them that
they can use as educational resources, be it for discussion, help with research, or something else.
Teaching Methods That Should Be Used and Why
The physical learning environment created for this sort of education would have to be
flexible, allowing for easy motion between different areas for different activities. I imagine a
circular building with different rooms and areas for different activities around the edge and an
open area in the middle. This way, in younger grades, students can move as a class between
different areas for different focuses and do learning focused on integrating different subjects in
the middle. In later years, students can feel free to move individually between different sections
as they choose, and have the central area as a place for discussion, food, and recreation. This
environment is reflective of Factors 1 and 5 from the five-factor theory of effective schools
because it creates a place where students become strong leaders of their own education and
where they are challenged to meet high standards that they begin to set for themselves (Sadker
and Zittleman, 2012). While these two ideas are traditionally used in reference to the teachers,
the student-centered focus of this philosophy allows students to internalize these strengthening
factors.
The Role of the Teacher
As the students learning styles grow, the role of the teacher must mutate accordingly.
Teachers should always maintain friendly and professional relationships with their
administrators, colleagues, and the parents of their students. Open communication should be the
main objective of these affiliations as this is what will create the most effective learning
community for the students. Teachers should ensure that all parents have their email, for

example, and weekly meetings between teachers to discuss the students and their education
would be ideal. Viewing students education as a conglomerate effort will be way more effective
than considering each educator as teaching a different part of each student separately. As a
teacher, I would strive to promote among my students a sense of open communication and desire
to learn. These two qualities, in my opinion, are what ultimately create the learning environment
and the learner. This is my job as a teacher to create a place for students to learn and to nurture
positive behaviors in the students. Other qualities I hope to imbibe as a teacher are compassion,
understanding, and persistence. Throughout my education, the teachers who have affected me
most positively were those who supported me not only academically, but emotionally also. This
professional student-teacher relationship is something I will strive to achieve with all of my
students.
Ongoing Professional Development
While my philosophy seems a bit removed from todays educational climate, I believe
that I can effectively incorporate it into my teaching as a music educator. As of now, one of my
primary goals is to continue to develop my own musical skills and knowledge so that I can be a
resource for my students. This also applies to my knowledge of education. I need to continue to
learn about how the process of learning actually occurs, of effective ways to set up classrooms,
and of more tools I can use in teaching. Lastly, I want to continue to develop my ideals of what
the most effective student-teacher relationship is. Ideally, these will all continue to happen
through participation in my education classes throughout the rest of my major, practicums, and
student teaching. Im also looking to become more active in professional organizations such as
ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) and considering pursuing other musical
leadership opportunities, both in school and in the community. Conversely, Id like to stop

staying up late and eating unhealthily. Bad health habits are not only detrimental to the teachers,
but also affect how they are teaching. If I want my students to receive the best education I can
give them, I need to ensure that I am in a good condition to offer it every day.

Resources

Sadker, D. M., & Zittleman, K. R. (2012). Teachers, schools, and society: a brief introduction
to education. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Wiggins, J. (2015). Teaching for musical understanding. New York, NY: Oxford University
Press