My Educational Philosophy

                                                      

"You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives ~ Clay P. Bedford" (Guillemets. 1998). As an educator, I will make it my absolute goal to make learning fun, creative, inspiring, and inclusive. Creating a positive environment where students feel their voice is welcomed, their curiosity is fulfilled and their need to be challenged is provided. Anybody can read and teach directly from the textbook; but to have the ability to teach the lessons in a way that engages the students to not only actively participate but to show excitement and eagerness towards the lesson, requires a love for teaching and that is what I will bring to my students.

Too many times, students who are either shy or have difficulties with the lessons, sit quietly hoping not to be called upon while the assertive students participate. More times then not, those quiet students fall in between the cracks in the educational system and continue to always struggle. As a teacher to my students, I will provide group activities to promote working with others; but would assist in one on one learning to ensure everyone learns. "Students prefer to work in groups motivated by companionship, collaboration, competition, and challenge" (Trespalacios, Chamberlin, & Gallagher.2011)

I am a firm believer in "filling in the cracks", making sure that all my students have a voice, not just the ones who are assertive.

In addition to teaching the required educational material, I will also use media as a teaching tool in my classroom. I can remember when I was in the eighth grade my English teacher had us read the book titled "The Outsiders" written by S.E. Hinton. In class we took turns reading aloud from the book, chapter after chapter until the book was complete. As a reward, she brought in the movie for us to watch over a two day period during class. As a student, I loathed reading books but found this method of teaching to be inspiring and exciting. Therefore, I would definitely use media in my classroom to inspire and encourage literacy in my students. In addition to media, I would also encourage my students to engage and practice the 21st century skills they will need in their futures, such as, problem solving, critical thinking, digital literacy, and how to apply knowledge to real-life situations. (Newman.2012)

Students that are in K-12 grades go to school to learn reading, writing and math ; but I believe wholeheartedly that students learn so much more then just those educational subjects. Whether they realize it or not students are also being taught how to behave and speak to others whether socializing with their friends or to the adults in their lives. As adults, we sometimes forget how social school can be for students and in some cases, how miserable it can be if being bullied. In my class, students will be respectful and mindful of others and their feelings, allowing for a more comfortable environment for everyone. In addition to the required school lessons, I would also teach my students about acceptance, ambition, time management, and to encourage my students to dream big.

My success as a teacher in my mind is not measured by one or two successful students; but is measured by the success of the class as a whole. If one student fails to understand a lesson, that is one student too many by my standards. I do not want any of my students to feel as though they do not count or that their success does not matter. I for one freeze when I take tests, so I can relate first hand that a students test scores alone cannot measure the effectiveness of a teachers ability or success. I believe my effectiveness as a teacher can be gauged when my students can show academic progress and proficiency (not necessarily through testing), as well as an inner curiosity and interest to continue learning. If I fail to make learning fun and explorative, then I fail as a teacher to keep their minds active and creative and that means failure. I want to mold my students into life-long learners, not just for my class but for their futures.

Anybody can dream of being a teacher, but not everybody has the love and passion it takes to become an exceptional teacher. I want to challenge my students educationally and in life. I want them to dream big and prepare them to achieve those dreams. Inspiring my students to be the best they can be while filling their minds with the knowledge they require is what I bring to my students. Having a caring attitude and being able to relate to my students encourages valuable communication and the ability to teach outside the box. I believe "The child is the starting point, the center, and the end. His development, his growth, is the ideal. It alone furnishes the standard" (Samuel, Suh. 2012).

　

　


　

References:

Guillemets, T. (1998). Welcome to the Quote Garden! Retrieved on March 30, 2014. From: http://www.quotegarden.com/learning.html

Newman, R. (2013). Teaching and learning in the 21st century: Connecting the dots. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Samuel, F. A., & Suh, B. (2012). Teacher candidates reconcile the child and the curriculum with no child left behind. The Educational Forum, 76(3), 372-382. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1027918051?accountid=32521

Trespalacios, J., Chamberlin, B., & Gallagher, R. (2011). Collaboration, Engagement & Fun: How Youth Preferences in Video Gaming can Inform 21st Century Education. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 55(6), 49-54. doi:10.1007/s11528-011-0541-5