My Philosophy of Education
Paving the Road to a Powerful Education
Amanda Cohen
“Nobody cares what I do. Why should I bother coming to school?” This is a quote from one of the many unmotivated students portrayed in the movie “Freedom Writers.” About eight years ago, I was a naive seventh grade girl who was absolutely shocked - and saddened - to learn that this was actually the mindset of some students. I was so profoundly moved by this film that it became my aspiration to make a difference in the lives of students as Erin Gruwell did. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to inspire others to have a desire to succeed. As I am nearing the end of my college edcation, I am evermore determined now, especially knowing that the opportunity to achieve this goal is within the realm of possibilities, which still drives my studies every day and shapes my future ambitions.
This summer I blindly entered the South Bronx as an intern for South Bronx United, a non-profit whose mission is to keep kids in school through athletics. Although I was only about thirty minutes away from home, I was exposed to a radically different lifestyle, full of poverty, language barriers, and violence. I hope to one day be able to show similar students why an education is important and why they should want to not only come to school, but to also want to stay in school. I want to be the person who shows interest in each student’s academic success and progress when nobody else seems to care.
It is important that children understand that getting a good education is more than being able to list important facts or about doing well on exams. A good education gives the students power. A good education will enable each student to succeed on his own by learning how to write well and how to articulate his thoughts, be persuasive, and present his opinions clearly. I want to show the students that there is someone who wants them to succeed. I want to teach so that I can ensure that each student I mentor has what he needs to succeed on his own- to write well, to speak well, and, above all, to want to go to and stay in school.
I am committed to improving educational settings, especially those in inner city areas that are plagued by high drop out rates, drugs, and violence. I want to create a setting where my students don’t wake up and dread having to go to school, where they aren’t counting down the days until they can drop out. In this setting, I hope that my students can understand why they should seek a quality education and I hope to inspire them to have the desire and motivation to learn, knowing that knowledge is power, and an education is the best way to a better future.
To show each student that I care about his education, I will do my best to incorporate his/her interests into my lesson plans. From my experience with South Bronx United, I learned that students are more engaged, cooperative, and willing to participate when their passions or interests are involved. I can frame a math problem in terms of a student’s favorite football team or pick an educational reading about puppies, if that’s what will help the student focus. Integrating the students’ interests can enhance even the most mundane and basic lesson.
As I plan for the years ahead, I’d like to explore different occupations in the world of education. Next year I will be working as part of a tutor corps at Match Community Day, a charter school in Boston, Massachusetts. My primary responsibility at Match will be to tutor students, or “scholars” as Match prefers, in first and second grade with a focus on literacy and math. I’m hoping that my year with Match will shed some light on whether I can see myself being a classroom teacher or if I’d rather go into the administrative side of education. For either path I choose, I am confident that my mission and philosophy will remain the same because regardless of the position I end up in, I will never forget why I chose to enter the world of education. I will forever strive to motivate and inspire students to choose the best road to the most powerful education they can find and, as always, be the best role model I can be.