Philosophy of Education

I have formed my educational philosophy on strong belief that education provides endless possibilities for future success. Higher knowledge allows us to learn about ourselves, others, and the world in which we live. As teachers, I believe it is our responsibility to ensure that students acquire the fundamental skills they will need to move forward into society; they will be faced with difficult challenges and situations and will know how to think critically and deal with them effectively. Education is a place where we can provide for students equitably, giving them time and resources that they might not receive elsewhere. It is also a place where we, as educators, can open students up to all of the people, cultures, and differences that surround them to help them to be better world citizens, striving for social justice and equity for all.

My decision to become a teacher extends from my true passion for learning and working with children. It is my way of giving back to the world. Having the opportunity to work with children and witness the wonder and discovery they receive from learning, along with seeing them grow and develop brings a true sense of value to me and provides me with fulfillment and joy. I want to strive to emulate the dedication and passion for the art of teaching demonstrated by my mother, who was an elementary educator for 45 years. Her commitment to excellence and to her students was an early influence on me, and I have seen the ongoing effects her teaching had on her students as they have grown into their own lives.

As a new and emerging teacher, I believe that to effectively teach students, I must fully understand their backgrounds, current activities, and future aspirations. This crucial information is invaluable in understanding attitudes, behaviors and performance levels and will aid in my curriculum development, lesson planning and classroom management. As a reflective and cautious educator, I take the time necessary to ponder the dynamics of my classroom to ensure that lessons are tailored to fit each student’s learning style and abilities. My lessons are thoroughly reviewed with clear and concise objectives, ensuring relevance to goals and engagement to hold student interest. When employing direct instruction, I find it most beneficial to student learning to use gradual release, providing students with practice and confidence to continue to independent work. I strive to utilize effective questioning and wait time to stimulate analytical thinking and discussion.

Being aware that children work with different strengths and intelligences, I try to provide information and lessons using different modalities; cooperative learning, role playing, art, music, drama, and technology. Problem solving offers students paths to make sense of new skills for themselves and giving students 'ingredients’ from which to create a final project provides opportunities for them to display learning using their own strengths and experience. As I grow in my profession, I would like to work towards becoming proficient in utilizing components of an integrated instruction model, when possible, in order to engage students more fully by utilizing content that is applied meaningfully to their world.

To conclude, as a teacher, I hope to provide my students with a solid foundation of the key skills that will unravel their potential to learn and excel. I want them to look back upon their time with me and remember me as a teacher who cared deeply for them both academically and personally. I want them to recall me as a teacher who truly loved teaching and never hesitated to go the extra mile to ensure their success.