“Train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6a, NKJV).
The more I learn, the more my philosophy of education is shaped and developed. There is an ever-changing pedagogy and there is a need to be open towards new developments in the realm of education. Yet, many components of my philosophy of education are firm and are fundamental to my beliefs regarding teaching and learning.
The first fundamental component of my philosophy of education is the belief that man is made in the image of God. I believe that the purpose of education is completely connected to Imago Dei. For instance, one purpose of education is to draw out the love for truth and justice that is part of man’s nature. It is innate, since truth and justice are attributes of God, but this innate desire needs guidance. In this desire to draw out justice, teachers and students alike should see the need to impact the world. Education should cue students into the cultural mandate given to us by God. Education is also about reorientation. We were originally designed to be like God, but we have strayed from this perfect design. Therefore, education should lead students to discern the nature of each thing (God’s design), understand how it has been distorted, and work towards reorienting and redeeming creation. Education is also about wisdom. Wisdom can be understood and applied to two realms. First, wisdom concerns the general order and pattern of living in God’s creation. In other words, wisdom involves fact-type knowledge, such as the rules of grammar and the understanding of mathematical concepts. But, wisdom is also fostered to help students create discernment for the particular order and circumstances of their lives. As a Christian teacher, that means that my goal of education is to help children grow nearer to the image of God and to understand that they are a part of the greater story of God’s redemption plan.
The second basic philosophy that I adhere to is that each child is a unique and special gift of God. Therefore, as an educator, I need to create a positive, God-centered learning community in which different abilities and strengths are emphasized, encouraged, and developed in multiple ways. As I teacher, I am a role model, and I must exude godly acceptance and love for all my students. I must create opportunity for the students to learn about each other and to appreciate each other’s differences. To create such opportunities, I must focus on getting to know each of my students to the best of my ability so that I am able to develop a classroom community that leads to student success and godly values of care, respect, trust, and integrity.
All in all, my philosophy of education rests on my belief that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Not only do I need to strive to do so, but through my teaching I must guide my students towards this belief as well. Together, as teacher and students, we learn from God’s Word and we learn from His created world and the patterns that exist within it.