An Educational Philosophy
      A quote by Alvin Toffler reads, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” This quote really made me think about today’s society. The more I thought about this quote the more it seemed to hold true.  In the past, many people took the same career path as their parents. Many of our grandparents did not go to high school. In recent years, many of our parents did not attend college. As a fourth generation American, technology and education has changed our society greatly from when our ancestors came to America. This change had enabled this quote to hold true. 
             
Today, technology in society is changing at an increasingly fast pace. Agriculture is also changing with it as it becomes advanced. New technology requires that future employers have more education to qualify in today’s workplace. An example of people needing higher education can be seen in my family. My grandfather learned how to farm from his Father. My father on the other hand, attended a technical school while also learning how to farm from his father. Even though my parents learned from their parents, I feel as though I needed further education. I believe students should be able to further their education to relate to their future.   

                I think students cannot get by with going to school to learn the basic curriculum of the past. I think that if today’s students want to be successful, they should obtain an education higher than high school. In my eyes, students have to have a passion for the career path they choose.  Students today can take what their parents taught them and learn new aspects of a subject in order to acquire newer teaching concepts.

                I believe the teacher’s educational goal is to make student’s yearn for knowledge. Teachers should not simply give students a basic answer. Instead, teachers should help the students desire more information. Students should have questions about particular topics instead of doing the minimum to get a grade. I believe students should be able to learn new skills while at the same time keep an open mind to skills that can be made available in the future. I think teachers should adapt to technology by acknowledging renewed practices. Teachers should be able to change their teaching practices and learn new concepts valuable to the student’s education. 

                In my eyes, teachers should have a positive role in the community. If teachers come from a small community like my own, they are not only a role model in school but in their community. I believe that no matter how large or small a community is, a teacher should be an educator and transmitter of knowledge both in and out of school. When I am an educator in my community, I will do community service like playing a vital role in a fundraiser or work towards a project that enhances the community. I believe a teacher will have more respect in their community if they are involved in the community. By gaining respect from a community, teachers can be appreciated more in the community because the community can see the positive personality traits of the teacher. 

                I personally want to teach in order to make students yearn for knowledge. I want students to understand the new practices of today’s society.  The biggest reason I want to be a teacher is that I want to help students succeed. It would give me a sense of satisfaction if I could change just one students life. I want to do my part as a teacher to help every student achieve their goals no matter how difficult their goals are. I want to achieve my goal in education by teaching tomorrows students how to apply teaching techniques of the 21st Century.