rushing all the time? After attending Dr. Keh’s lessons, I’ve
learned to adjust my mentality before lessons, telling
myself that I should find pleasure in the teaching process,
and interact with students for the sake of creating a good
learning atmosphere.
Alongside of observing the methods of teaching, I was
exposed to traditional and contemporary theories of
education in the course “Philosophical and Socio-cultural
Issues in Education”, which ultimately helped me with the
formation of my own philosophy of education. In
retrospect, on the first day of teaching, my goal of
education was to enable students to acquire knowledge
about the society and the world in which they live. I found
this notion shallow after the exposure to the concept of
“progressivism”, which emphasizes that “education is life
itself, not a preparation for life.” It inspires me that
educators should provide guidance and go through
experiences with students during their exploration of
knowledge. Not only should we teach students academic
knowledge, but also instil within their minds with morals
and virtues, like how to be a good citizen within the
community. Moreover, I hope to inspire my students so
each of them has the ability to shape their own goals and
beliefs. Last but not least, educating students doesn’t only
help with their knowledge, but also ourselves as
educators. After this school year, I have found that
educators indeed learn more than what we teach, as
students of different levels and backgrounds allow us to
look at education from multilayered perspectives. This is
the crucial knowledge which educators, committed as life-
long learners, could never learn from bookish methods.
Rachel is an English
Education student who likes
reading, dancing, and
delving into the English
language and culture.
MAY 2017
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