Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is not about being a figure of authority, being in control or the adage, “June, July and August.” Those who are in the education profession with those goals in mind will not be effective teachers and they fail those who find themselves at his or her mercy in the classroom. The most effective and successful teachers are those who found it was all they ever wanted to do; found a passion for it that lasted through the tedious process of educating by state standards to make it their profession. They are “called” to teach, another adage in regard to those who are obviously doing what they are best suited to do, something they have a passion for. Anyone can be taught to play a musical instrument to some degree or other but only those with the talent seemingly born in them will become masters of their instruments. It truly takes more than practice and the same is true for the teaching profession; it requires a love and born in talent.
Regard for the students is a requirement, not an option. First and foremost there has to be a full understanding that they are people, unique individuals with differing characteristics. It would be an awful mistake of anyone to try to mold them into an idea of what someone thinks they should be. Differences are a fact; they must be accepted as the individuals must be accepted for the wonderful part they play in making the diversity or our society such as it is. If everyone fit the “perfect mold” life would be an endless drudgery.
My experiences to date have taught me that what we see on the surface, or what we think we see, is not always the truth. Our senses do after all fail us so often. The seemingly inattentive student that continually makes comments or asks questions is not an annoyance, he is learning his way. The quiet student in the back that appears to be listening and absorbing everything could very well be hearing nothing except the thoughts in her head about totally unrelated topics.
Are we encouraging them to be their best selves, or fit in and be like everyone else? Edmundson (2015) describes his students as desperately “trying to blend in, to look right, not to make a spectacle of themselves.” (Edmundson, 2015, p. 393) Edmundson (2015) also excitably describes a specific student, one that “is a singular…” (Edmundson, 2015, p. 391-392) Whose singularity doesn’t hold him back; it propels him forward. This student “decided to follow his interests and let them make him into a singular and rather eccentric man; in his charming way, he doesn’t mind being at odds with most anyone.” (Edmundson, 2015, p. 391-392) Motivating teachers and students to desire this type of attitude towards their learning experience will enable them to do more than listen, learn, repeat. “Students want to feel connected to and supported by their instructor, and when they feel this, students gain intrinsic motivation to learn.” (Sedden, & Clark, 2016) Sedden and Clark (2016) also explain that there is a significant potential for higher grades when the “instructor used humor, developed a rapport with the learners, provided an open atmosphere where students were free to ask questions and argue viewpoints, and exhibited high expectations of the students.” (Sedden, & Clark, 2016) Considering how important this factors into the learning experience, there should be more importance directed toward this improvement in the
As you enter the red bricked school building on the first day, you do not know who your teacher will be. It could be a tall, old, young or nasty woman or man. But you always try to make yourselves presentable, since the first impression is always the last. Some students come, sit with their heads down, and speak nothing for the period. Others just disperse in the back posting pictures on instagram of their first day of school. However the not so ordinary student introduces themselves, tells the class what they did over the summer, and starts asking teacher questions even before the teacher has taught the lesson. They stand out from the rest. By the end of the day, the teacher has already figured out who the “perfect student” is.
Teaching Philosophy When I was growing up I wanted to be everything I could think of from an astronaut to a doctor. You name it and I wanted to be it. I could not make up my mind and even as I started college no decision fro my major was made.
While everyone in a classroom are never the exact same they do all share many traits. The first trait is that all students are humans and need to be respected. Each student is there to learn, no student comes to school wanting to fail. Fallibility is another trait everyone has, mistakes happen to all. Recognition is an enormous trait within a class; all students want to be acknowledged. More positive characteristics are enthusiasm, adaptability, and humility. These characteristics are unique in each student, but they all have them.
It is hard to know each and every one of your students on a personal level
As a student at Lampasas High School, I have noticed many students who differ in shape, size, and backgrounds which lead to their many different behaviors. In every classroom, there is always the class clown, the teacher’s pet, and the student many didn’t even know existed because they’re always passed out in the back of the classroom. I have discovered that the way my peers act in class speaks volumes about how they may act outside of class. The way students behave in class can be categorized into three groups, the overachievers, the slackers, and the uncivil. The overachievers sit towards the front of the class if given the choice. The slackers sit near the back, not willing to learn much at all. And the uncivil can usually be found sitting
Education is the means by which a student gains the tools for a successful future. Through education, a teacher is not only teaching facts, but also teaching life skills. Education teaches students discipline, responsibility, and many other life skills. As a teacher, I hope to instill these skills in my students. I also hope to help them develop as adolescents. Education should allow students to fully understand and discover themselves, in addition to giving them the ability to survive in the real world. Education involves respecting every student's race, sex, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and religion. Education should teach the students to think on their own, and to accept and embrace their individuality.
I take a completely humanistic view when it comes to educating children. I believe that Maslow was correct in his belief that people genuinely strive to reach the highest level of their capabilities. I also believe that everyone can reach his/her "self-actualization" if their lower hierarchy of needs are met first. I want to focus on three things: Maslow's levels, how they affect children and educators, and what I feel is the best tool we can give our students before they head out into the world of independence.
Children are our future and it has been a dream of mine to guide them into the right direction by the way of a good education. Having two children of my own, and preparing them for school, prompted me to want to achieve my goal of teaching. Watching their faces beam with pride as they learned something new, made me so proud. Teaching them preschool activities required research in knowing what I should teach to prepare them for elementary school. I used workbooks that I purchased from stores and I printed out worksheets from the Internet to help them learn. I considered myself a traditionalist; I directed the activities and had emphasis on a core curriculum that I planned for daily. After seeing them succeed from my teaching efforts, I decided I wanted to help other children succeed.
The role of public education as I see it is to provide every child the opportunity to become a valuable member of society. It is an institution where parents, teachers and the community can collaborate to help each student achieve educational success. It takes all kinds of individuals with different teaching styles and philosophies to achieve this. I believe my role as a teacher is to challenge students to think for themselves, think critically (solve problems) and to encourage learning through lessons that are fun. My philosophy is that I should strive to provide authentic learning experiences through student engagement and collaboration. As an educator it is my responsibility to facilitate learning opportunities whether they come from direct instruction, student collaboration in the classroom, or involvement in community activities.
Cicero said, "What noble employment is more valuable to the state than that of the man who instructs the rising generation?" He was correct in saying this because the young people of today will become the world leaders of tomorrow. The educators that instruct these children are important to this society because they will help shape the lives of these young people.
I believe that learning and teaching is an equal process between teachers and students. Teachers learn just as much from students as students learn from teachers. When I become a teacher, I will most likely adopt the philosophy of pragmatism. I believe that knowledge is an instrument for adapting to reality, and therefore is an essential part of life. I want to become an educator in order to motivate children to receive knowledge and use it to better their lives. I dream of helping young children learn to read and write and I anticipate the moment that they look up at me and smile because they understand. I want to be an educator because educators are the most important force in the working world today. Without educators, there would be no doctors to treat the ill, no lawyers to defend the innocent, and no policemen to protect us from harm. There would be no accountants, nurses, psychologists, there would be no one with professional educations and degrees without teachers.
Teaching Philosophy The most important impact I want to have on students is that they remember me as a teacher who cares about their education. I want to leave an impact on each child’s life. My motivation to teach comes from a desire to help others and see student’s excitements as they learn new concepts. I believe teaching is my way to make a positive difference for each of my students.
Balancing the characteristics of a good student will not only lift them out of the average student range in some of their classes, but it will also carry on through his or her adult life making a job or a career even better. Becoming an excellent student early on in one 's lifetime is the best way to learn the discipline needed because it 's something that will be pushed onto the student by the parents very young, rather than trying to teach oneself self discipline. Defining a student by their grades is not a good way to understand the student and how they are learning but watching the choices that they make in academics is the key to defining who has what it takes to proclaim the good student
When I was younger, all my friends wanted to be teachers. So, I decided at a very young age that I wanted to be a teacher too. As the years went on, I got more serious about actually being a teacher. Many people in my family have been teachers and I always thought it was something I would enjoy. Through being a junior leader in 4-H, I have had the opportunity to work with many young children. Every year at 4-H camp, I come home with a new little brother or sister. When I first wanted to be a teacher, I didn’t really think about what kind of teacher I wanted to be. Through many years of deliberation, deep thought, and exploring my options, I have narrowed down my profession to elementary education. I think that by being an elementary education teacher I will be living a fulfilling and worthwhile life. I feel that I can make a difference and help shape the lives of our youth.