My philosophy of Education and ESL missions

Peggy Ridgeway

Introduction: What is Educational Philosophy?

Ornstein in his book, Foundations of Education, defines Educational Philosophy as, "the study of the most basic beliefs and values that govern our approach to education and schooling." Ozman in his book, Philosophy Foundations of Education, defines it as, "the application of the fundamental principles of philosophy to the theory and work of education." Both agree that philosophy is composed of four major terminologies: Metaphysics (reality and existence), Epistemology (k nowledge and knowing), Logic nature of reasoning), and Axiology (what is value). It is the purpose of this paper to connect my views with the major terminologies in philosophy to discover where I stand in my philosophy in education.

My Philosophy:How does this terminology fit into my way of thinking?

I am a Christian first and a language teacher second, so I see reality in nonmaterial terms, or spiritual terms. Yet I feel that m an or the individual is the center of education and what he/she experiences in the classroom reflects the total outcome of his/her spiritual essence. I feel each individual must work out their own salvation, so each person/student needs to be encouraged to develop their own view of what they feel is reality. I see myself as a facilitator who leads their thoughts towards God and spiritual terms but does not hold them back to experience life and develop ideas on their own. Seeing life/education through the eyes of God must develop from the free will of an individual, if they are to become dedicated Disciples of Christ.

Children are our most prized treasure of the future and must be given the opportunity for the very best education available, and one that allows them to learn how to create an understanding of balance in society. Maria Montessori (1913) said, "Who touches the child touches the most distant past and climbs toward the infinite fu ture." Wordsworth said, "The child is the father of the man", and Froebel (1782-1852) said, "In the children lies the seed of the future." Our Savior said, "Let the children be, and do not hinder them from coming to me, for such is the Kingdom of heaven. " A part of giving quality education is realizing the gift that has been put in our hands.

What is Knowledge?

I see true knowledge as a blending of natural instinctive thought that God gives us from our beginning, with our backdrop in life, added to what we create by our interaction with the former. In other words, k nowledge is instinctive, learned, and created. Education needs to develop this knowledge by using different types of methodological practices that can adhere to the needs of the child's/student's exploratory nature. In the book The Wisdom of Matthew: An Essay in Contemporary French Education Theory, Freinet states:

Let children go through groping trial and error, sending out roots, exploring and digging, inquiring and comparing, shifting through bo oks and documents, driving inquisitively into the contradictory depths of knowledge... seeking at times arduously, good they can get their teeth into.. .Never drive your pupils to despair by transforming your school into a narrow valley with a single rout e... Childhood is not a sack that needs filling up. (Freinet, 1990)

Children are not "a sack that needs filling", as Freinet says, but children, to a certain extent, need the ability to explore for themselves and in their own way. This opens the child to an ability to use his/her instincts and backdrop to become aware and create knowledge.

How do experiences fit into the picture?

Schools do not function in a vacuum. Children/students bring their backgrounds with them to school. Our instruction can inc lude lessons that help children understand how to cope with the vast diversity within their nation. Teachers have the responsibility to hold children accountable for their education. We cannot change a child's home life or historical backdrop, but we cannot let the negatives in their life be used as an excuse to fail. Children can be led to see they ha ve "the power to overcome" and that the classroom can become neutral ground. As teachers, we must present new ideas, theories, and sets of beliefs so the student can adjust his/her thinking on how the world really works and how they can function within that world.

Dewey (1859-1952) saw education as a reconstruction of experiences and socially centered. He felt that experiences in life are the best teacher and that schools should be set up with more activities that promote problem solving. He also felt it ne eded to be the right kind of experiences where the educational system did not "divorce subject matter." Dewey felt that the school itself is a part of the community and must not be separated from it. I feel the classroom must be neutral ground and build a social structure within itself where all students are accepting of each other.

Goals of Education:

One of my goals as a teacher is, "learning the individual," at his own pace, at his own abilities, so that the individual can be guided in becoming an effective communicator in our global society. In the book, Education of Man, Pestalozzi (1746-1827) said:

The material with which the educator works, which he must be able to mold in true creative fashion, is man himself, the masterpiece of creation.... It is man whom the educator must understand- man in his lull scope and power- as a gardener wisely tends to the rarest plants, from their first sprouting, to the maturing of their fruit, the teacher must be capable of watching man's developme nt, whatever direction it may take, whatever the circumstances...no profession on earth calls for a deeper understanding of human nature, nor for greater skill in guiding it properly." (Pestalozzi, 1969, p 32-33)

My classroom will not only be full of different learning styles and abilities, but will also be comprised of multicultural aspects . I do not want to lose sight of the individual needs in this vast diversity.

Another of my goals is, to keep my classroom child/student centered. I really like how Dewey felt on this matter. He felt that the teacher should be more of a guide not a dictator, and that education should be less what the teacher does and more what the students do. Dewey felt the individual child's personality could be used to help him/ her acquire skills, and by adding the learning of certain subjects to it that the child should be more able to cope with needs in the future. I feel group activities, peer tutoring, cultural stories and crafts, hands on activities, computer programs, and games can all be a part of instruction. Learning can be fun. (Roper, 1975, p 323)

In my reading and language methods I use contextualized instruction, and I see my role as guiding the student into an awareness of knowledge through what is presented in the lesson. I also see my job as teaching strategies that help the student become more independent. To me teaching is like working myself out of a job. I present the lesson, then give activities that teach strategies of learning, and then they are e quipped to learn on their own. (This same principle can work in teaching God's word.)

ESL/EFL and the Bible:

I am a firm believer that the future lies on the outcome of our students. All future reform in society will take place by the knowledge our students are gaining today. In my way of thinking, God, historical backdrop, and national ideals can all work together for the education of man.

In teaching English as a second language using the Bible, we are incorporating God's word into the learning process. We are not changing anyone's culture but guiding the individual to see their culture through God's eyes and helping the individual to become aware of his/her place as a part of the whole. The instruction for ESL/EFL (English as a second/foreign language) teaching for adults follows the same principles as for children. Teaching strategies for learning a second language and strategies of being a Disciple of Christ can both help the individual to become an independent committed follower of Christ. Cognitive instruction can lead to affective evaluation of self, thus planting the seed of God's message. I view the opportunity as a nurturing of the spirit and mind of man that develops and unfolds into reconciliation between God and man.

Conclusion:

My goals as an ESL/EFL missionary are to complete the mission of God using my talent as a language teacher. I view God's mission as "the work of God in reconciling sinful man to himself." I view God as the source of that mission which flows through Christ to man. I view the Holy Spirit as God 's empowering agent to the world and the Church as the embodiment of God's mission. I view the whole world as the target of His mission. I am therefore the vessel of God planting the message of Christ in the world.

Another goal is to adapt myself to the other culture both physically and mentally for the purpose of communicating cross-culturally. Through language and cultural learning I hope to gain an insider\rquote s perspective so I will be better equipped to focus upon the people and deliver the message of God into that culture in such a way that the people can understand and respond positively. Part of this goal includes starting where the people are so I may effectively plant the seed in a manner that they will become germinal Disciples of Christ.

A final goal is to stay in the country as long as God plans to use me as His vessel. This could become a life long task, so I am preparing my family and myself for this possibility. Within this goal I plan to establish my own business that will support me in the future. I plan on establishing an English language institute in Cosenza, Italy, where there is a demand for Native English speakers to tutor Students learning English at the local University and the local Elementary schools.

References

Freinet, C. Trans. by John Sivell (1990). The wisdom of Matthew. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen.

Ornstein, A. and Levine, D. (1993). Foundations of education. Fifth ed.Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Ozmon, H. and Craver, S. (1999) Philosophical foundations of education. Sixth ed. Columbus: Merrill.

Pestalozzi, J. H. (1969). The education of man. New York: Greenwood.

Roper, D. (1975). A history of religious educators. New York: Baker.

Van Rheenen, G. (1996). Biblical foundations and contemporary strategies:Missions Grand Rapids: Zondervan.