My Teaching Philosophy
As a teacher in the 21st century, I hold very strong beliefs about education. I believe that each child has the capacity to achieve greatness. I believe that each child needs the proper learning environment in which to learn. I believe that each child needs to collaborate with peers to scaffold learning and build upon their knowledge. As an educator, I will provide students with a hands-on learning environment. Students are our future; and within their lifetime they will shape the world to come. It is my job as a teacher to provide the students with a safe, comforting, and loving atmosphere in which they can learn.
When a student prepares to leave my classroom as the year comes to close they will feel a sense of pride in how far they have grown, prepared for the future ahead of them and most of all, they will feel loved. With these three goals in mind, I strive to provide a quality education to all students in a learning environment that is safe, supportive and enriching of the whole-child. My goal as a teacher is to promote self-learning through guided discovery and exploration. Students are responsible for being active participants in the classroom and their community. It is the role of the students to question things, participate in class and to further their own learning. It is their job to strive everyday to achieve something greater than what they achieved the day before. Students should be prepared everyday to challenge themselves and their classmates, but to always remain respectful to their peers and the teacher. In this day and age, you would find it impossible to walk into a classroom of students all learning and functioning at the exact same level. By realizing this, I understand the importance of differentiated Instruction and appreciate its ability to meet each child at their individual level. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences states each child learns and processes information in a different way. The flexibility of differentiated instruction allows me to incorporate technology into my classroom and allows students to stay connected in this technological era. As an educator, teachers hold many responsibilities. It is my responsibility as a teacher to instill confidence, knowledge, and to raise their self-esteem. The first years of schooling are extremely crucial for children because they learn the basis of their educational life and future. During these few years children open their eyes to many new opportunities, and ways to think. I believe that teachers must love their career in order to be effective and successful. In order to be a successful teacher, they must have a positive disposition. If a teacher is coming to school day after day hating their job it is time to leave the profession, because there is a good chance that those students are coming in day after day hating school. Another way to be a successful teacher is to carry high expectations. It is impossible for students to excel in a classroom setting if the teacher does not hold high expectations for all students. I believe that students should not be lectured at and taught from a whiteboard, but rather from hands-on activities and experiments. Finally, in order to ensure my students are intrinsically motivated, life-long learners, I will lead by example. I will always strive to express my dedication to teaching, and convey my passion for learning. Without the proper attitudes, beliefs, and morals from the teacher, they will not provide an appropriate learning environment to all children. My goal as an educator is to provide a nurturing, challenging and supportive learning environment where students feel welcome and successful. In doing that, I am preparing students for the rest of their educational careers and the world beyond them. |