MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
I believe each and every child has the potential to bring something unique and special to the world. I will help children to develop their potential by believing in them as capable individuals. I will assist children in discovering who they are, so they can express their own opinions and nurture their own ideas. I have a vision of a world where people learn to respect, accept, and embrace the difference between us, as the core of what makes life so fascinating.
There have been many influences in my teaching methods. One main influence is William Glasser. When asked what he thought was the reason for so many students’ poor performance in school and what accounted for the high number of disciplinary problems, Dr. Glasser determined that it is because school is boring. He has taught me that the students that act out in class may indeed be bored. My goal as a teacher is to make my lessons as interesting and hands on as possible. I will use technology as much as possible since this seems to be a big way to grasp the attention of the students of the new generation.
Harry Wong is also a very influential figure in the education field. He educates educators about the procedures and classroom management techniques necessary in running a functional classroom. He stressed that a fully operational classroom is one that can run itself. The teacher is the facilitator and the students are responsible for their own behaviors and learning. Mr. Wong taught me that an effective teacher is continually learning and is always open to an ever changing classroom environment. From Harry Wong, I will take away the classroom procedures and teacher attitude so strongly preached in his book and seminars.
The main thing a teacher should base his/her instruction off of is the state standards. A set of guidelines provided by the state is the most important place to get the content for curriculum. The second place an instructor should look for guidelines when deciding the content in which to teach is the school districts’ curriculum. Certain grades have different topics they need to cover and the school district most likely has a plan for what each grade should teach. After a teacher knows what to teach, he/she needs to make content specific objectives and stick to them when teaching lessons. The teacher strategies will fall right into place when the standards, district curriculum, and objectives are covered by the teacher. One strategy that I believe strongly in is the inquiry-based teaching strategies. Inquiry-based learning is a research-based strategy that actively involves students in the exploration of the content, issues, and questions surrounding a curricular area or concept. When students are actively involved, their curiosity is peaked and they are engaged in learning.
My classroom will be a very organized and colorful classroom. I plan on having a lot of interactive locations in the room. My bulletin boards will always be interactive and changed quite frequently. I will have different stations for the students to work at. They will be stocked and prepared for the students. There will be a special corner of the classroom for the classroom library. It will have a rug and bean bag chairs for the students to relax in while they read. The overall feeling of the classroom will be fun and comfortable. There is a quote that I found that fits perfectly for my idea of the learning environment. “It’s hard to be fully creative without structure and constraint. Try to paint without a canvas. Creativity and freedom are two sides of the same coin. I like the best of both worlds. Want freedom? Get organized. Want to get organized? Get creative.” – David Allen
The main priority a teacher should have is insuring that all students learn. It is not possible for this to happen unless there is a safe and open learning environment. The students should feel safe to express their feelings and problems in the classroom. When a student feels like he/she has a voice in the classroom, they are more likely to feel comfortable and “at home” in their educational setting. Helping students develop a deep love and respect for themselves, others, and their environment occurs through open sharing of ideas and a judicious approach to discipline. When the voice of each student is heard, and environment evolves where students feel free to express themselves. My classroom will be set up to be an environment that allows all students to learn, express themselves, and have fun at the same time.
I will allow for different types of learning environments for the various types of learning styles that will be exhibited by the students in my classroom. Some students excel in small, cooperative groups. Some students excel when working with a partner, while others do best when working alone. I believe that incorporating these three types of learning styles when teaching is the best way to get positive results from students. By looking at the objectives of the lessons, a teacher can decide which socialization technique would work best in the situation.
My role as a teacher will be a facilitator. I plan to pick the students brains and guide them in learning through questioning and exploring. I have found that students learn better through exploration and discussion. Hands on experience and getting the students to think and work things out has seemed to be more effective with learning material in my experience. The teacher should also constantly be assessing what the students are learning and how his/her instruction is helping the students gain the necessary knowledge. If something is not working, the teacher should not only assess the students, but assess himself/herself as well.
Parents and the community should have a vital role in the education of their children. Parents need to be constantly updated on the classroom activities and their child’s academic progress. I plan on having the parents involved as much as possible. A lot of teachers these days have websites or blogs where they discuss things that are going on in the classroom. These websites or blogs show student work, the newsletter, and have an easily accessible link for the parents to contact them. I will get the community involved by taking the students on short field trips around town. Many lessons taught during the year can be tied in with places around the community. There is so much that teachers can get the community involved in throughout the entire year. It is important to involve local businesses and important figures in the community in a child’s education. The more people we have on board, the more likely a child is to succeed.
Students from different cultures and backgrounds will be celebrated in my classroom. These students should be treated with the same respect and love as any other child in the classroom. It is important to educate children of different races about their peers’ backgrounds. Students with special needs cannot be overlooked either. Special accommodations should be made to ensure all students are in the best learning environment to succeed. My class will be educated on respect and will understand the consequences of disrespecting each other because of differences and more.
Classroom management is a system of practices that increases learning and lowers behavioral problems. Effective classroom management communicates expectations to the students. I will begin the school year by establishing my rules and procedures. I have found that explaining these rules and procedures immediately is the best bet for them to be effective. If these rules and procedures are set in place at the beginning of the year, the students are more likely to abide by them. If these rules are broken, there should be a clear set of consequences that are followed through upon no matter who breaks the rules. The teacher should also use as much positive reinforcement as possible. Praising a child is the best way to gain trust and a positive relationship with students.
Teaching provides an opportunity for continual learning and growth. One of my hopes as an educator is to instill a love of learning in my students, as I share my own passion for learning with them. I feel there is a need for compassionate, strong, and dedicated individuals who are excited about working with children. In our competitive society it is important for students to not only receive a solid education, but to work with someone who is aware of and sensitive to their individual needs. I am such a person and will always strive to be the best educator that I can be.
There have been many influences in my teaching methods. One main influence is William Glasser. When asked what he thought was the reason for so many students’ poor performance in school and what accounted for the high number of disciplinary problems, Dr. Glasser determined that it is because school is boring. He has taught me that the students that act out in class may indeed be bored. My goal as a teacher is to make my lessons as interesting and hands on as possible. I will use technology as much as possible since this seems to be a big way to grasp the attention of the students of the new generation.
Harry Wong is also a very influential figure in the education field. He educates educators about the procedures and classroom management techniques necessary in running a functional classroom. He stressed that a fully operational classroom is one that can run itself. The teacher is the facilitator and the students are responsible for their own behaviors and learning. Mr. Wong taught me that an effective teacher is continually learning and is always open to an ever changing classroom environment. From Harry Wong, I will take away the classroom procedures and teacher attitude so strongly preached in his book and seminars.
The main thing a teacher should base his/her instruction off of is the state standards. A set of guidelines provided by the state is the most important place to get the content for curriculum. The second place an instructor should look for guidelines when deciding the content in which to teach is the school districts’ curriculum. Certain grades have different topics they need to cover and the school district most likely has a plan for what each grade should teach. After a teacher knows what to teach, he/she needs to make content specific objectives and stick to them when teaching lessons. The teacher strategies will fall right into place when the standards, district curriculum, and objectives are covered by the teacher. One strategy that I believe strongly in is the inquiry-based teaching strategies. Inquiry-based learning is a research-based strategy that actively involves students in the exploration of the content, issues, and questions surrounding a curricular area or concept. When students are actively involved, their curiosity is peaked and they are engaged in learning.
My classroom will be a very organized and colorful classroom. I plan on having a lot of interactive locations in the room. My bulletin boards will always be interactive and changed quite frequently. I will have different stations for the students to work at. They will be stocked and prepared for the students. There will be a special corner of the classroom for the classroom library. It will have a rug and bean bag chairs for the students to relax in while they read. The overall feeling of the classroom will be fun and comfortable. There is a quote that I found that fits perfectly for my idea of the learning environment. “It’s hard to be fully creative without structure and constraint. Try to paint without a canvas. Creativity and freedom are two sides of the same coin. I like the best of both worlds. Want freedom? Get organized. Want to get organized? Get creative.” – David Allen
The main priority a teacher should have is insuring that all students learn. It is not possible for this to happen unless there is a safe and open learning environment. The students should feel safe to express their feelings and problems in the classroom. When a student feels like he/she has a voice in the classroom, they are more likely to feel comfortable and “at home” in their educational setting. Helping students develop a deep love and respect for themselves, others, and their environment occurs through open sharing of ideas and a judicious approach to discipline. When the voice of each student is heard, and environment evolves where students feel free to express themselves. My classroom will be set up to be an environment that allows all students to learn, express themselves, and have fun at the same time.
I will allow for different types of learning environments for the various types of learning styles that will be exhibited by the students in my classroom. Some students excel in small, cooperative groups. Some students excel when working with a partner, while others do best when working alone. I believe that incorporating these three types of learning styles when teaching is the best way to get positive results from students. By looking at the objectives of the lessons, a teacher can decide which socialization technique would work best in the situation.
My role as a teacher will be a facilitator. I plan to pick the students brains and guide them in learning through questioning and exploring. I have found that students learn better through exploration and discussion. Hands on experience and getting the students to think and work things out has seemed to be more effective with learning material in my experience. The teacher should also constantly be assessing what the students are learning and how his/her instruction is helping the students gain the necessary knowledge. If something is not working, the teacher should not only assess the students, but assess himself/herself as well.
Parents and the community should have a vital role in the education of their children. Parents need to be constantly updated on the classroom activities and their child’s academic progress. I plan on having the parents involved as much as possible. A lot of teachers these days have websites or blogs where they discuss things that are going on in the classroom. These websites or blogs show student work, the newsletter, and have an easily accessible link for the parents to contact them. I will get the community involved by taking the students on short field trips around town. Many lessons taught during the year can be tied in with places around the community. There is so much that teachers can get the community involved in throughout the entire year. It is important to involve local businesses and important figures in the community in a child’s education. The more people we have on board, the more likely a child is to succeed.
Students from different cultures and backgrounds will be celebrated in my classroom. These students should be treated with the same respect and love as any other child in the classroom. It is important to educate children of different races about their peers’ backgrounds. Students with special needs cannot be overlooked either. Special accommodations should be made to ensure all students are in the best learning environment to succeed. My class will be educated on respect and will understand the consequences of disrespecting each other because of differences and more.
Classroom management is a system of practices that increases learning and lowers behavioral problems. Effective classroom management communicates expectations to the students. I will begin the school year by establishing my rules and procedures. I have found that explaining these rules and procedures immediately is the best bet for them to be effective. If these rules and procedures are set in place at the beginning of the year, the students are more likely to abide by them. If these rules are broken, there should be a clear set of consequences that are followed through upon no matter who breaks the rules. The teacher should also use as much positive reinforcement as possible. Praising a child is the best way to gain trust and a positive relationship with students.
Teaching provides an opportunity for continual learning and growth. One of my hopes as an educator is to instill a love of learning in my students, as I share my own passion for learning with them. I feel there is a need for compassionate, strong, and dedicated individuals who are excited about working with children. In our competitive society it is important for students to not only receive a solid education, but to work with someone who is aware of and sensitive to their individual needs. I am such a person and will always strive to be the best educator that I can be.