Below is my philosophy about education. This paper shows what is important to me as a future educator, why I chose teaching as a career, and how I will accomplish tasks within my future classroom. This is a working document that will never be complete. I will continue to become more aware of my teaching methods, understand more in-depth about issues in the field of education, and I will spend more time within classroom settings observing students and their teachers.
Turning Dreams into Reality
When I was younger, I wanted to be a police officer so I could save lives, a singer so that I could entertain an audience, and an archaeologist so that I could make great discoveries. I then came to the conclusion that I could do all three by becoming an educator. I would save lives by giving my students knowledge to succeed in the world, I would entertain my students so they can become interested in the content I teach, and I would make new discoveries, not just about my students, but about the styles and methods I should use within my classroom. I know that teaching is a large responsibility, but I also know that it is rewarding to watch children leave the classroom better than when they entered it. After pursuing my dream of becoming a teacher, I have learned more about how I can improve myself, my students, and my classroom. It is important to make each child’s dream a reality, and I will do this by giving my students hope for the future by assuring them that they can reach their full potential.
I can save a child’s life by knowing the content I need to teach because it gives me more time to focus on the child instead of attempting to understand the subject. The famous novelist Victor Hugo explained that “he who opens a school door, closes a prison.” The more I know, the better I can prepare my students to make positive contributions to the outside world. As I am currently working towards my Bachelor’s Degree, I am taking courses that provide me with knowledge of a variety of areas, so that I can teach an assortment of subjects with confidence. Since I am specializing in math and technology, I am striving to further my understanding of those areas, so I have taken math up to the pre-calculus level and I am presently taking various computer classes. I know there is a greater need for more qualified teachers in the classroom because of the No Child Left Behind Act. To stay qualified and current in the field of education, I can develop more knowledge and skills by attending activities, such as workshops and seminars, to add to my professional development. I also plan to attain a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education because I feel it will further my understanding of how to teach children, providing me with more opportunities to gain a better grasp of the material I need to teach to my students. Because I know that I am held accountable for what my students learn during the school year, I want to make sure they are learning the material which teaches the state standards and assists them with scoring high on standardized tests. This knowledge of content will be beneficial to my students because I will have more time to reach out to them as individuals, showing them their goals can be achieved.
Taking individual time for each child helps to save their life. Each child needs to feel essential to my classroom and know that I care about them. I can look for ways to assist each child in reaching their highest potential, if I become aware of their strengths and weaknesses. I will take the time to help my students who are struggling and who are behind in certain areas. I never want children to lose hope because they can not do something or because they feel unimportant. As I conduct activities and help my students, I will make sure I am giving all my children equal attention regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic class. I hope my children know that I recognize them all as individuals, but there are standards in my classroom that I expect all of them to reach. In my class, there is going to be a mixture of all different types of children who might need specialized lessons, so they can reach my high expectations. For example, students in my classroom who are exceptional learners will need modified lesson plans, so they feel involved in the classroom setting. Gifted students might want more challenging assignments, or I might have English-language learners who need extra clarification for class work. I will also make sure to provide my students with praise, showing them how much I want them achieving greatness. Becoming aware of what my students are involved in outside of school can help me include their interests in the lessons, while at the same time making sure I am teaching the required state standards. I will encourage my students to participate in after-school programs, especially if they do not have supervised attention when they return home. I believe in developing a relationship with a child’s parents by sending home informative newsletters and talking with them on the phone about how their child is doing in school. They need to be aware of what their child is learning and understand ways they can help their child become successful in my classroom. By reaching out to my students, it will show them that I care about their future aspirations, and that I want their dreams to come alive.
I can teach the required state standards in creative ways that are entertaining to my students by using a variety of resources. I will use technology to reinforce the concepts I teach, by presenting PowerPoint presentations and having activities on interactive websites. I am aware, however, of the hazards associated with the internet, so I will closely monitor my students and teach them about computer safety. I will utilize other hands-on manipulatives, such as base-ten blocks, jeopardy games, and music, to teach the state standards. Children enjoy doing these activities because they become involved, while learning at the same time, and it gives them variety to the usual lecture or textbook. Taking my class on field trips and inviting guest speakers are other resources I will take advantage of because they introduce the world to children first-hand. By employing all these resources within my classroom, I can open the minds of my students and show them how to think outside-the-box, furthering their realization that their dreams can come true.
Having a positive environment where everyone shows enthusiasm creates educational entertainment within the classroom. I want my students to look forward to coming to school each day, so I will make my classroom as enjoyable as possible. Decorating my room with colorful designs and posters, and also displaying my student’s work on the bulletin boards will initiate more excitement for learning. I will keep my room organized, but still make it comfortable for my students. Their desks will be arranged in groups, so the children can get to know one another and think of themselves as part of a small community. If I make sure to greet my students each day with a smile, it will show them how excited I am to be there every day. I want them knowing how much I love teaching, and I hope they can see it through my positive attitude. I need to be upbeat and enthusiastic during the lessons because I do not want my students getting bored. To capture their attention, I can dress up as a historical figure or ask for active participation. I know that by getting them involved in skits, group work, and other activities helps them to grasp the material and think of learning as an exciting adventure. I want my classroom to be entertaining for my students because it expands their minds and allows them to become more creative, ultimately allowing them imagine more dreams for the future.
I know that each day I teach will lead me to greater discoveries about my students. Becoming more aware of their specific learning styles will help me decide how I am going to teach my lessons. For auditory learners, I can read instructions aloud and make sure there are class discussions. Visual learners would do best when I show pictures, display overheads, and write information on the board. My kinesthetic learners would enjoy labs, group work, and the opportunity to create models or projects. I will try to give various options for assignments, so my students can pick out the ones that work best for them. Another area I can discover about my students is the type of intelligences they have. Once I know the areas my students are strongest in, I can gear my lessons to them based upon those strengths. For instance, if my goal is to have my students learn their multiplication facts, I can introduce different ways of learning them based upon their intelligence. A musical learner could have the choice to create their own songs to remember the facts, a spatial learner might draw a picture to represent an equation, or an interpersonal learner might want to work with a partner to verbally quiz each other. Giving different options allows a child discover new methods and ways of thinking to help strengthen their weak and strong intelligence areas. I believe that discovering my students’ needs and abilities is important because I want them to learn material in ways that work well for them.
Making discoveries about myself, as a teacher, is important to understanding how I should manage my classroom. I believe that a classroom should be a community where everyone needs to do their part to ensure everything runs smoothly. I will create agreements with my students, so that they know what is expected. My students need to understand that there are consequences to their actions, and I should make sure I am consistent with the reprimands I give to them. Making sure my students understand integrity, and what cheating is, will help prevent unneeded problems in the classroom as well. I know that by having a well managed classroom, I will not need to worry about excessive disruptions, allowing more focus on teaching my students information that will benefit them for the future.
I need to give my students something to think about besides just homework. Life lessons and new ideas can originate from a child’s mind when they are given the opportunity to imagine and create for themselves. I hope my students look forward to the future and realize their dreams can come true if they apply themselves. They need to learn of the world around them and understand that many opportunities lie ahead. Children are our future and I should prepare them for it by giving them knowledge, making the lessons entertaining, and discovering more about them and myself. My dream of becoming a teacher is coming true. Now I want to turn every child’s dream into a reality.
*Graphics
Dream graphic from The Big Box of Art CD
Book Stack and Teacher at Chalkboard graphics from ClickArt! CD Children using resources photo from the wesbite: http://www.hearinnh.org/hnhfacility/classroom/classroom.html
Children at desk photo from the website: http://www.hbaeagles.org/elementary-specialprograms.html
Class Pledge graphic from the website: http://home.att.net/~puestads/manage.htm
Thinking Cap and 3 Students Clip art licensed from the
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