My Teaching Philosophy

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

Education is not something that should be taken lightly. The future of the world is in the hands of this younger generation. Teachers have a huge responsibility to instill the proper beliefs and content into their student’s minds. I believe education is more than just the giving and receiving of knowledge, a teacher is a role model, a student’s role in the classroom is to be ready to receive knowledge and to become active thinkers on their own, and that a classroom management system must be in place to have a proper learning environment. My personal teaching philosophy leans more toward the progressive and idealist approaches

I believe that education is more than just the giving and receiving of knowledge. I believe that education is about inspiring one’s mind not just filling their head. Education is the process of equipping students with the necessary skills, to not only succeed in the work force, but to shift the direction of their future. Teaching is the only profession that creates all other professions. I have a strong desire to show children their worth and to prepare them for their future. I love the idea of passing on what I have learned to someone else.

I believe that a teacher’s main job is to be a role model to his or her students. That is a huge responsibility. Teachers must be very resilient and flexible. They are faced with many different situations every day. They must be prepared for them all. I am a firm believer that a teacher must make personal relationships with his or her students, to properly teach the children and engage them in the learning process. I plan to equip my students with more than just the required content for the year. I want to teach my students skills that they can use in not only the professional setting, but in social settings as well. I believe a teacher should help students reach their full potential and their goals. I want my classroom to be a place where students feel safe to be themselves. I want my class to be an inclusive learning environment, where each student plays a valuable role. I will make sure to give each child proper equity and give them what they need to succeed. I want my students to leave my classroom with more knowledge than they came in with. A teacher should not just remain a person in the classroom; he or she should give their time to their students outside of the school as well. Teachers should help their students think for themselves. The role of the teacher in the classroom is not to create students in their own image, but to develop students who can create their own image.

A student’s role in the classroom is to be ready to receive knowledge and to become active thinkers on their own. I believe that every student, no matter what their background is, is capable of learning and doing well. The student’s role in the classroom is to be willing to learn, and to ask questions. I support Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. I believe that a child cannot engage in higher level thinking if their physiological needs are not met. I plan to assess the needs of my future class and facilitate my lessons accordingly. Students should be held to high expectations for them to know that I respect them. Students should respect the teacher in return. I realize that students need to be engaged, so I am a supporter of teacher-centered classroom. I believe that this method will help the students to stay on task.

I believe that a teacher should have a classroom management plan in place, before their first day with their students. I plan to explain my expectations to my students on the first day of school, so that they will know how to behave for the rest of the year. I plan to use positive reinforcements, rather than punishments to encourage good behavior. I plan to avoid sending my students to the office as much as possible. I believe sending a child out of the classroom, demonstrates lack of control. I also plan to call home often and inform parents on the good behavior of their children, not just the bad behavior. I believe that a classroom cannot function properly without a disciplinary system in place.

Education is not something that should be taken lightly. The future of the world is in the hands of this younger generation. Teachers have a huge responsibility to instill the proper beliefs and content into their student’s minds. I believe education is more than just the giving and receiving of knowledge, a teacher is a role model, a student’s role in the classroom is to be ready to receive knowledge and to become active thinkers on their own, and that a classroom management system must be in place in order to have a proper learning environment. Every teacher has a unique teaching method, and mine is more of the essentialist and idealist styles. Teaching is beyond a profession; it is an art.