My Philosophy - Purpose and connection to Education

What is the purpose of education?
A person can be educated in many different ways, going to school and receiving knowledge from a teacher and books.  Another ways a person can be education is by exploring the world around them, traveling and learning about other cultures and their experiences.  I think the purpose of education to impart knowledge to a person on a subject that they don’t know about.  The knowledge that one has about multiple topics gives helps them guidance in making multiple decisions about their life and to question what happens in the world around them.  Alternative histories allow people to question the tradition view of American History and question the actions of government and people of a specific time.  For example, thinking about the Native American experience, we all know about the pretty picture shown about the first Thanksgiving, but there is a harsher view of the events of reservation life and ideas “they need to become farmers” and “they need to be civilized” which became the main lines of thoughts and in essence destroyed many of cultural believes and ways of the Native population across the United States.  But education is also about learning from listening to what other people have to say, which may alter there own thinking. We need to have an open mind to what people are saying. 

In some ways education is learning the basics a person needs to survive in this world.  Life skills are important because they give you a foundation for the rest of your life.  In part, many people believe that education is supposed to help you get a better job, so that you can move up in life. 

What connection does my philosophy of education have the act of teaching?
The thoughts and the application of my philosophy of education seem to be abstract right now, but I feel that it will give me guidance when I step into the classroom for the duration of the years I teach, especially during my first few years as a teacher.  It is about listening to what is said and seeing how the class reacts and then adjusting the lesson for the students in your next class without giving up your beliefs.  If you are rigid about your believes it can make you less productive as a person and teacher.  My being a rigid person at times has made it tougher to get along with people. I want my students to go away with something of value and understanding of the subject.  It is my job to guide my students and my philosophy of education is there to help ground how I teach.