During traditional pedagogy training, new teachers must learn a myriad of educational philosophies from different philosophers and psychologists.How do children learn and how must educators teach them is the question that is answered by each philosophy. Is a child's aptitude determined by genetics (nature) or by environmental influences (nurture)? This paper will examine different educational philosophies of great thinkers; some who believe that children are genetically predisposed to intelligence and others who posit that all intelligence is experiential. It will also discuss which philosophies are relevant to teachers in contemporary times.