Teaching Philosophy
Teachers are the sculptors of every child’s future. No other job comes with the satisfaction of knowing that you have made at least the slightest difference in a child’s life. Little things that you say and do will always be remembered. Not only will you be a teacher but you will also play the role as, a friend, mentor, hero, and many others. As a teacher I plan to run my classroom with rules and consequences, but my students will realize that they are treated fairly. They will have a voice and say so concerning what goes on in the classroom.
Seating arrangements will depend on classroom instructional activities. There will be lots of group activities, since most kindergarteners aren’t used to being around children their own age. The room will be bright and very colorful to keep their senses alert. My bulletin boards will display the calendar, colors, numbers, and the alphabet. They will include people from all cultures on them. I will have learning centers around the room that the students will be able to go to in their free time. These centers will teach the students to tie their shoes, button their clothes, cut out shapes, color in the lines, and other supplementary skills. My classroom will be run in a democratic fashion, which is pragmatism. The students will have lots of say so over the rules and the way the classroom is run. It will be child centered since the students will be the most important part of the classroom. They will have a voice and say so concerning what goes on in the classroom. These are examples of how I will use the existentialism philosophy. I will be a guide in the learning process of my students.
I would establish a non-authoritarian classroom. I want my students to see me as their instructor, not their boss or authority figure. I will run a facilitating classroom with circle seating arrangements, student centered activities, problem solving, and reciprocal teaching. I feel as if I am a pragmatist and I will use the theory or progressivism to run my classroom.
I feel that in order for students to prosper they must be comfortable with their learning environment. I plan to have an well-organized classroom with various bulletin boards highlighting current chapters of study, as well as announcements and assignments. I also believe that you must keep students both interested and involved to achieve successful learning. Desks in my classroom will be organized in one large “U” formation facing my desk in the front to create a feeling of unity and coherence. To further promote this goal I will assign a seating chart (possibly alphabetically) to aid in the diffusion of cliques and to avoid exclusion of these who may have the tendency to be isolated. Individual and group projects will be incorporated into my curriculum to provide students the opportunity to work both independently, as well as a team member.
...tudents facing a chalkboard in silence. I want a classroom that is full of conversation and questions. I would like to see students freely asking questions without raising their hands, and being courteous to let others speak first whenever more than one student has the desire to speak. I would like to hear words like “thank you” and “please” used in commonplace conversation. I do not want to spend time sitting at my desk if my students are in the classroom. I expect to be wearing comfortable tennis shoes to school every day so that I am up and wandering amongst my students. Just as the “garden” that I bring into my classroom, I want to be witness to the growth of children in both their learning accomplishments and in their growth as individuals. I want to be the person that at the end of the day, smiles and give “little” hugs to kids I cannot help but adore.
As a teacher, I would be able to spend more quality time with my children and help them after school with homework. In addition to meeting these personal goals, teaching would allow me to reach out to area students and help them build character and acquire knowledge. The classroom is a complex society. In each room, there must be an atmosphere in which students of all backgrounds can learn. By being a constructivist one can combine the elements of essentialism, progressivism, behaviorism, perennialism, and existentialism to form a successful teaching philosophy and therefore a successful classroom. Below, I will discuss how these ideas can be combined for success. As essentialism states, the teacher needs to have control in the instruction of the classroom. Lecturing and supervising the improvement of skills are great ways to teach materials. A case in point here shows one of the teaching fundamentals, of the core subjects reading, writing, math, and nature sciences. This gives you the intellectual discipline to solve problems that involve complex ideas. In progressivism, students have more of a democratic voice in the learning process. Although the teacher will be the facilitator of the process, by using a cooperative learning activity the students are designing there own education and are guided in a direction by the teacher.
My classroom will be a place to learn and a place to develop social skills. It will include brightly colored and informational bulletin boards and seating that will depend on the classroom activity at the time. There will hopefully be at least three computers in the classroom and lots of resource and research materials available not only for me, the teacher, but also for the students. Throughout the school year projects will be assigned that will be relevant to the topic being studied at that time. As the school year progresses, projects will also be displayed around the room. Hopefully these will serve to inspire the students to learn and research new ideas on their own.
The overall philosophy of my classroom will be that the students learn as much as possible about mathematics and life in an enjoyable environment where I can serve as their teacher and friend. My goal in life, as a teacher, is to improve the lives of as many students as I can both intellectually and emotionally. When teachers teach their students to successfully and happily survive in this world, they have truly done their job.
My goals as a teacher are to help students communicate effectively and foster a desire to learn. I believe these two characteristics are important for students to have because despite what problems they encounter or what situation they are in, the ability to communicate effectively will help them in working with others and the desire to learn will motivate them to make positive changes in their life. As a teacher, I want my students to become interested in learning, both in school and in their personal lives. With these two goals in mind, my role as a teacher is to help them acquire these skills and values. However, effective communication is one of the hardest tasks for teachers because we all communicate in different ways and through different means. This is why teachers also need the desire to learn because it will motivate them to learn more useful ways of communicating and connecting with the students. To help students attain these goals, a teacher who leads by example can demonstrate to students how to communicate to others. In addition, if teachers are excited about what they teach, they will create a better learning environment that will motivate the students to learn. My philosophy of teaching consists of these two traits because after they leave my class, I want them to continue their education with the desire to learn more and to communicate this desire and the skills they have obtained with others.
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.
Stephen Brookfield (2006) defines a teaching philosophy as “…a set of values, beliefs, insights, and convictions about the essential forms and fundamental purposes of teaching” (p. 255). A teaching philosophy should serve to support a teacher and guide his or her actions so that the students’ best interests are always of primary focus. It should also come from within and be an extension of the teacher’s identity. When we consider the difficult environment and circumstances that students face today, the authenticity and actionability of a teaching philosophy is paramount.
Ralph W. Tyler, an influential figure in early twentieth century educational reform believed that “the purpose of life was learning.” He said, “When one ceases to learn, one ceases to live life to the fullest. The biological basis of man has changed little since the cave days. However, each generation creates new ideas and elaborates on those ideas which have previously existed.” With education, ideals set forth from a society or culture can be preserved and create a powerful generativity of knowledge, linking the past with the present while ensuring future posterity.
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.
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.
My classroom will be like a small community of learners. The students will sit at medium-sized tables. Each table will seat up to four students. This seating arrangement would allow group work and shared learning. I will establish and enforce a classroom management plan. On the first day of class, I plan to create a list of rules, with the students' help, which will be posted on the wall for reference. I will also type the rules up into a contract to be signed by both the student and the student's parent(s). If a student violates the rules I will review the contract with the student and give him/her a conduct cut, detention hall, send the child to the principal's office, or have a parent/teacher conference depending on the severity of the problem. I think...
This paper explores four main questions. Those questions are why I want to become a teacher, what or who influence me, what I hope to accomplish as a teacher, and what will by my legacy in my classroom. The answers based upon these questions will vary depending what they are asking. I will explore each question in depth and make it unique to me. Personally, I have a connection with teaching because back at home I used to work at a child development center and had my own classroom of fourteen little three year- olds. Therefore, I want to become a teacher because I love being with kids and it would be a dream come true. I want to accomplish many things as a teacher, but mainly gain the trust from my students. Also, the person who influenced me to decide to become a teacher is my neighbor/best friend, and she made me realize that my legacy in my classroom would not just be to make sure the students learn, but to make my students feel loved.