Personal Educational Philosophy Statement
Deborah Castel
University of West Florida

Personal Educational Philosophy Statement
People have many different views and ideas of what they see the purpose of education is and forming a philosophy of education is not as simple as it might sound. The purpose of education is to teach and expose students to knowledge. Developing a personal philosophy of education is important because it guides your instructional decisions and can provide stability, continuity, and long term guidance as a professional. There is not just one statement that defines the purpose of education and it isn't limited to just what one thinks. It is my belief that the purpose of education is not merely to teach students what our school districts what us to teach so they can pass these state and federal tests, but to ignite the minds of every child to be creative and analytical thinkers; to assist students in developing critical thinking skills and the value of reasoning for themselves; to develop a student's desire and ability to think and learn about the world around them; to teach and guide them in learning how to develop successful relationships that will enable them to work with their peers not only throughout their school years, but in life itself.
The majority of learning does not really begin within the classroom, when a child enters school for the very first time. Many of life’s most important lessons are learned from our family members, from the communities where we grew up, and within society itself. Education is important but life skills are generally taught at home which is more useful than the curriculum that we, educators, deliver to our students within the school system. School is important to teach not only the specific subject matter, but more importantly skills such as team building, socialization, work ethics, and friendships.