Philosophy of Teaching

I developed the following philosophy my sophomore year in college and have added on to it throughout the years. Like teaching, it is ever changing!


Philosophy of Teaching

Vision of myself as an educator

I want to be patient, kind, understanding, knowledgeable, honest, expectant, and motivating. I want to be firm enough to get the job done while retaining respect in my classroom. I want to be open-minded and allow the students some freedoms while maintaining structure and tradition in the classroom. I want to inspire: inspire my students to learn and grow, inspire the parents to believe in their children, inspire the faculty to work together, and inspire the community to support the school.

Role of the teacher in the classroom

As a teacher I want to educate the students on the material, but in new and different ways. I want to provide a good classroom environment. It should be a safe one, where children feel they can come each day. It should also be one of respect and rapport. As a teacher I will be a nurturer, facilitator, problem solver, leader, referee, and educator.

Role of the student in the classroom

Student must come to school wanting to learn. They should keep the classroom safe and respectful. The students should also hold each other accountable: if one student is having trouble, another student can help them out. By creating a community I hope that the students feel more like a family and want to see everyone succeed.

The roles of the parents and community

Parents and the community must be involved and supportive of schools and the education process. I want to put in the effort required to involve parents in their children's educations. Parents need to believe in and support their children, so my job is to show how talented and hardworking their children are. I would also like to organize community events such as fundraisers or concerts. These events can showcase students’ talents and offer a way for the community to involve themselves.

What learning means

Gaining knowledge and understanding of many topics through reading and discussion of the deeper truths, then developing your own opinion about them. Finally applying that understanding to other concepts.

How I will incorporate multiculturalism

Learning about the histories of all races and cultures is important so the students are accepting and aware. For different religions it’s a little harder, but I think it’s important to know the students’ backgrounds. With learning styles, it’s hard to keep everyone at the same pace, but I think by involving all the students, knowing their backgrounds and what styles work best for them, I can get everyone on the same page. A knowledgeable, diverse classroom helps create a safe and fun environment.

My ideal classroom:

There would be a whiteboard along the side of the room and a smartboard in the front. My desk would be to the side, out of place. There would be windows to let in the natural light too! Along thee other side wall, there would be closets with sliding, barn doors. Students can keep their coats and backpacks inside without losing wall space where projects can be displayed. I want my classroom to be bright and happy, with signs or anchor charts, posters, and educational quotes. Students’ work should be displayed so they can feel proud of having their work shown off. It would be nice to have a listening center set up near the reading corner. In the reading corner I would have my classroom library organized neatly so that students can easily find what they want to read. I would also like a kidney table for reading groups or a science/math station table. One of the shelves in the room would be of manipulatives so that the students know right where to find them. Other would be of useful tools for the students, books, and supplies. The student desks would be in small groups to facilitate learning. Each group would have a little bookshelf or something to hold a set of supplies so that students have these supplies right at the desks. As much as I would love to add more technology and computers in my room, I’m sure I’m over the limit on space!

How students learn best

Students learn best by having concepts explained to them through different methods, auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. I want to provide examples of all of these to students to fully explore each subject. Students learn from their peers, so partner learning is also helpful. In my experiences students learn best when the topics are taught, modeled by the teacher, the students work with a partner or small group, and then try it on their own.

My plans for continued professional growth and development

I want to work pursue a Master’s degree and continue my own personal studies. I am constantly learning new things now only from professional development and my peers, but also from the students. Every day is a learning experience.

The knowledge I most want my students to learn from me

I want my students to know how to work with each other in groups and how to achieve their true potential on assignments and in life. I want my students to learn how to communicate their needs and express them in a way that other can understand them. I want them to be able to solve problems and handle situations on their own. I want them to learn the life lessons they will needs as well as the academia. 

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