The philosophical anthropology of John Dewey supported his organic picture of democratic life. This paper examines how Dewey's philosophical anthropology informed his conception of the educational environment, with emphasis on Dewey's understanding of how teachers can influence students through the intermediary of the environment. All teaching, Dewey contended, occurs through the medium of the environment of the school and classroom. The environment for successful learning should be simplified, purified, balanced, and steadying. The teacher can best promote learning by working out situations that draw on and extend students' knowledge, insight, curiosity, and more. The educational environment changes with the persons embedded in it, and that includes the teacher. Dewey's perspective on the environment remains timely for teachers and teacher educators. (Contains 18 references.) (SLD)