Every individual needs to be taught properly with adequate tools and supplements to grow as a good, productive and complete person. Just like nurturing a plant, which requires enough water and sunlight, fertile soil, a fence to protect it from harm, and most of all a green thumb. In educating a child, the green thumb must be possessed by a person who will nurture the child… a teacher! The teacher is not just the mentor inside the classroom giving lectures, explaining theories and concepts, teaching the ABCs and 123s. A teacher is someone whose heart and soul is devoted in shaping a child. Parents, siblings, friends, experience and the society are teachers because they affect and influence a person of how he should act, react, behave, think and decide. A mother for instance, is the child’s first teacher. She keeps on talking to the child to train him to talk, as the child grows, she holds his hand to train him to walk and she gives all her heart and support to teach him to face life. So, Education should be conducted in a relaxing atmosphere. In the classroom, for instance, the physical condition of the classroom should be at its best; well-lighted, well-ventilated and comfortable seats, then the teacher should be friendly and approachable, with presentable looks, well-modulated voice and good teaching strategies. As a whole, the Department of Education should provide adequate educational supplies, design a good curriculum and plan how teachers and students work better in school. Based on my personal experiences, I remember handling the lowest section of the fourth year class as their adviser. My class was assigned in the old classroom; walls and ceiling were somewhat ready to collapse, chairs were broken and not enough so other students had to use mono block chairs with no arm where they can write comfortably, and the room was separated from the other fourth year sections because they were using the new building. And so because they were the lowest section (meaning they are academically poor), they had negative perception about themselves; low self-esteem, not performing well in class, not attentive, bullies, always absent and so many other problems. These made me irritated, I was always angry, sometimes unfriendly because I felt that if I would be nice to them, they would be lazier and relaxed. The end result…negative. This only means that these students belonging to this class were not properly nourished and cultivated. That was one of the mistakes I did as a teacher, and I learned from that. Now I am friendlier. I thought that if I befriend my students, they will not be afraid to attend my class, to answer when I ask and to ask when they don’t understand. Another instance is my IV-A class, which has students who are studious, obedient and intelligent. They got all the assistance they need; family support, effective teachers, competitions/activities to help them learn more. But they still had complaints, they didn’t feel comfortable with their Math teacher, the subject they love the most. She never smiled, she was strict and inconsiderate, and talked harshly (according to these students). If this was true, how could this teacher be effective? “Learn NOT out of FEAR, but out of FREE WILL!” This is my motto in learning. If a child learns because in his heart he wants to learn, it becomes easy for him to do things, but if a child tries to learn because of fear, learning is difficult to process.
The Philosophy of Education, in general, is to produce individuals who are knowledgeable, competitive and efficient. It also aims to develop the moral, spiritual and emotional strength of a person. Since Education is part of life, and life cannot be fully understood without philosophy…therefore education should be guided by philosophy, love for wisdom. It must be inculcated in a learner’s heart, mind and soul the eagerness to acquire knowledge to be able to understand life and to be able to apply this knowledge in life’s journey. This is what our country and every parent should aim… to educate every child! Children should be in schools not in the streets! The government must fully support the education system; provide enough budgets (not putting the budgets in their own pockets!), find out the problems that the department of education is facing and deal with them seriously. The school should be a home of knowledge. Just like what John Dewey said, “School is purified, simplified and better balanced society. It is an effective vehicle for the socialization of a child. Thus the schools are important social agency which performs various social functions and responsibilities.” In my case, I am thankful that I am a teacher, not just to my own children but to my students in the school where I teach. I remember what a lecturer in one seminar I attended said and let me quote… “Teachers are the reasons why we have great leaders of the world…and they are also the reasons why we have corrupt leaders of the world!” Sounds negative at first, but the fact is, it’s true. When we shape or cultivate a child, we share to them what we have and if what we have is positive, they grow positively, and if what we have is negative, they grow the same way.
Every time I see my children and students achieve something, even my former students who are now in college and others are already professionals like I, others are richer than I, wow! , I feel proud of myself, for I know that I contributed in a way in the success that they achieved. I did not just give them lectures from the book, I did not just teach them grammar and reading lessons. I did give them my love! I was their teacher, mother, and friend. Enough tools and supplement to educate them.
To sum it up…Education and Philosophy go hand in hand. From the book of the Foundation of Education, it says that… “Philosophy is the mother of Education and Education gives birth to Philosophy.” Our beliefs and perception of education help us become eager to educate ourselves and educating ourselves help us have better views of life. Love learning, enjoy life, form good philosophies and attain good life. To end this, here is now my own philosophy of education, “Train a child to be equipped in facing the challenges of life, develop his knowledge and skills. Love a child, and his knowledge and skills will be applied in his journey through life. A knowledgeable and skilled child who was loved will be like a blooming flower in the garden, giving beauty to the world. And that flower was nurtured by a gentle green thumb, the educator!”