Teaching Philosophy
Education is the foundation of each person's knowledge, skill, talent, and understanding. Each and every person in the world has benefited in some way from the act of another person teaching him or her something, whether it is inside or outside of the classroom. Truly, people learn a great deal from experiences outside of the classroom, but a school provides the means and foundation for education, and everybody takes away more than facts and answers from it. A school gives someone the opportunity to think, challenge him or herself, solve problems, and search for answers. It is where people discover how to learn on their own and, in doing so, they can take this with them into the "real world," since learning is a never-ending process.
Teaching for me isn't an act of lecturing and dispensing facts, answers, and an endless amount of information. Rather, it is an interactive process where I can give my students the greatest opportunity to think on their own and begin to learn how to discover answers on their own. As a teacher, I am concerned with providing the tools for learning, rather than the facts and answers to problems. My students need to be actively engaged in their own learning process and in the discovery of answers. Learning is a continual process through life. My goal is to provide my students with the appropriate tools so they can take them into the world and continue to use them after leaving my classroom. They should never be without the tools to discover, solve, and experiment in their own lives. If they should ever, at some point in life, stop in their pursuit to discover a new idea, then I have not one my job successfully. It is my job as the teacher to get my students to find the answers to questions they do not know.
Just as I say I never want my students to stop learning, the same applies for myself. Teaching isn't just a profession for me; rather it is a foundation for learning. Teaching allows me to continue learning new concepts and ideas. There are so many new discoveries found everyday, and teaching allows me to share these new ideas with my students in the classroom to not only enlighten them, but to enlighten myself as well. Teaching allows me to grow with my students and is never a static job.
Teaching is not a simple task and it is not trouble-free, but I feel it is the most rewarding of all of life’s opportunities. I see teaching as a way of helping an individual expand. That expansion is not limited to knowledge, however. I want to expand a student’s mind, personality, understanding, worldview, and personal drive as well. If I help a student learn to read, that is teaching. If I assist a child in tying his shoe, that is teaching. If I practice with my brother while he works on his touchdown throw, that is teaching. If I make someone a better person, that is teaching in its most immaculate form. By expanding an individual’s ability to have an open mind and to accept people and their differences, I have made them a nobler person. If a student sits in my class all year with the literature and grammar going in one ear and out the other, but she still leaves with a better understanding of herself and a broadened scope of the world around her, I have succeeded in expanding her to some extent.
The overall purpose of education is not only to teach students about the set curriculum, but also to teach them to be individuals and creative thinkers. As a teacher one has to go farther than just to teach, you are a role model, a doctor, and most importantly while still having control you are a friend. I feel education is important because as a society we need to learn and grow from what we know. In today's society, a person without an education cannot make a name for themselves, and cannot get ahead in the world. Education is there to teach us about the past and prepare us for the future. Education is a leading part of our lives, and needs to continue to be.
Altogether, the many aspects that teaching offers is what brings me to the field. Besides feeling compelled to teach, it is the benefits, the thrill of teaching, the everyday learning, and the positive impact that are present in the field. I am completely aware that I will not enjoy every day as a teacher. There will be kids who push me to my limits, and there will be policies or rules that I find ridiculous. However, those are just small drawbacks and, in my opinion, do not even come close to outweighing the positives. Hence, as I rest in this moment of my life, I know deep within my heart that I want to be a teacher.
School teaches students how to survive out in the real world. By going to school, students all over the world are benefiting society. Getting an education makes a person an advocate to society. Having an educated society means that the world will in general, be a smarter place. With the world being a smarter place, we can accomplish the things that are needed to survive and make it in this world.
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.
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.
Through my own experiences, and as enforced by others' opinions in the profession, I have found that teaching is one of the most rewarding careers. Not only are you placed in the position of instructing and guiding children and young adults through the life long learning process, but you are able to give back to the schools and communities which have supported your early education and experiences that opened you up to a bright future. In becoming an educator, I hope to someday share the knowledge and lend the helping, supportive hand that I was once given, allowing students to formulate their own perspectives of the multicultural society and world around them. Teaching is a career I have been interested in pursuing throughout high school, and as my experiences and study in the field expands, I feel that my desire to teach will grow stronger and develop more soundly.
Teaching is a lifelong learning process. It involves the learning of new strategies, philosophies, and methods. I can learn from colleagues, parents, classes, and from the students themselves. I want my students to take responsibility for their learning. I want to give them the tools to help become successful in their life. I think it is my responsibility to provide an educational environment that is encouraging and positive.
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.
Education has always been more than just math, science, English or history to me. Educating is about teaching and learning those academic subjects, but it is also about teaching what is means to be a good friend, son or daughter and just member of society and learning how to take these academic and social skills to new levels in a learner’s life. School is a place for everyone to learn, both teachers and students, about one another’s backgrounds and interests, but it is also a place to teach and learn how to become equipped for aspects of the changing world.
Personally, I believe teaching is one of the most honorable professions any one person can choose to be part of. Teaching is one of the only professions that can have a profound impact on the future of our towns, state, country and world. Learning cannot be forced onto anyone, so as a teacher it is my role to plant the seeds and develop in students a love of education and learning. It is a role that I cherish and take very seriously!