My Philosophy of Education
by
Theresa Scruggs

    Three years ago I left a fifteen year career to begin a new adventure, something that I hope is the vocation I was intended to perform, teach.  Now why would someone my age want to go into the education field?  I heard somewhere of a story of a man who had been an accountant for 30 years and walked into a college and said, “I want to teach, I know all there is to know about accounting and I want to share my information.”  The administrator responded by saying, “Well I've always wanted to be an accountant, I think I will go into the accounting business.”  The man replied, “You can't just go into the accounting business, you have to have experience, you have to know the issues, you have to know how to operate a business.”  The administrator just sat back and smiled.

    There is more to education than just sharing the information that you have.  The best instructors I have had in my lifetime, in and out of the classroom, have left a piece of themselves with me.  Education is more than just passing along information; it is perception, consideration, kindness, compassion, tolerance, respect for the students and the ability to gain respect from them.

    Changing ones path in life is sometimes easier said than done.  As I was contemplating this decision, I asked the advice of a good friend of mine who had become a priest later in his life.  I tried to explain to him what a difficult decision this was and make him see all that I would be giving up to change my career path.  He just answered, “Why not?”  That is what I want to ask my students; why or why not?  That is part of educating, teaching individuals to think and to understand how the actions of their decisions will affect their lives and those around them.  This seems so important right now in our lives.

    A good philosophy should probably include quotes from educational psychologists and theorists, and that is important; that is why we are learning about in our college classes.  The understanding of this research will aid us as educators in our classrooms, much like so much of the other information presented to us in our course work.  However, that is not a part of my philosophy.  Education is one of three important aspects that can touch a child's life.  The influences we make on their perceptions, minds, and spirit will determine the future of the world they live in.