Personal Philosophy of Education 2007
In society teachers have always played an important role in shaping our lives. We have all experienced great teachers and others who were not so great. I believe that to become a great teacher you must be aware of your own personal philosophy of education and how it affects and determines the decisions you will make in the education of your students. My personal philosophy has been shaped through my experience in school and in the courses I have taken to prepare as a teacher.
Since teachers are central to the success of the education of our youth I believe that they need to posses certain qualities that would make for an outstanding teacher. To name a few, teachers should be enthusiastic, organized, creative, authentic, knowledgeable, and caring. From experience an important quality in this list is caring, meaning listening to the students and genuinely wanting something good for them. As a teacher I will listen to the needs of the students and attempt to make learning authentic to them by teaching to their interests and looking deeper into elements of the curriculum that interest them while still addressing the required curriculum.
Another aspect of teachers is the teacher’s professional knowledge. I believe that as a teacher I need to be knowledgeable of what I am teaching, how to teach it, and how to make it meaningful for the students. For example teachers should attempt to stay current with developments and new teaching techniques in the field. When teaching I will attend workshops, meetings, and take further courses, for my continuing professional development. Teacher must also have knowledge of the curriculum and subject matter when they are teaching. They should be able to answer related questions that students ask or be willing to look further into finding an answer. As a teacher, I plan on being familiar and knowledgeable with the curriculum... I understand that teachers can’t know everything but they need to have a good grasp of what they are teaching. When they do, they can make better quality lessons and help deeper learning to occur.
As a future teacher the relationships I have plays an important role in my philosophy of education because relations help to define who were are as individuals. A teacher has many different relationships within the school community, and the most important relationship is between the teacher and the student. This relationship needs to be authentic, caring, and genuine. As a teacher it is my goal to develop authentic relationships with all my students. When I was a student I was motivated, I cared about school and I was willing to take risks when I had an authentic relationship with my teacher. An authentic relationship also involves the teacher recognizing that each student is an individual with specific needs and that they have a “backpack” of prior experience. It is important that I uncover these experiences so I can begin to connect and link those experiences with the curriculum and subject matter. I hope to develop these authentic relationships by showing interest in the student’s lives and taking the time to know them. For example during the year I hope to attend one outside activity that each of my students is involved. I also plan on being an active member of the community so that I can see the students and parents outside of the school.
Throughout my experience of Tutors in the Classroom and After School Tutoring for the Catholic Board, I have recognized that each student has different learning styles and different levels of multiple intelligences. By recognizing this I will modify and adjust my lessons accordingly to the needs of these students. It is also important to recognize and understand the student’s physical, social emotion and cognitive development. Before teaching I plan on familiarizing myself in to the works of Piaget and other theorists surrounding development. After being a counselor at a spring camp I have come to believe that behind each behavior is a need. By recognizing this I can help to eliminate needless trips down to the principle’s office or time outs because if I can identify the need then I can help to alter the behavior.
I consider the school environment a vital component to the success of teaching the students. For example, if a school environment is inclusive to every student, and promotes multiculturalism and equality then learning can occur for every student. When I teach I want to create an environment that is inclusive and promotes respect, critical thinking, self expression, multiculturalism, and celebrates diversity. If someone was to walk into my classroom, the room would feel warm and inviting and it would be a place where the students would want to be and learn. There would be space for the students work to be displayed and activity centers that promotes exploration and discovery. I would also use different desk configurations and I would change the room around several times during the year.
As I take more education classes my values, beliefs and assumptions have been challenged, and through critical thought and reflection I have come to understand who I want to be. I believe that critical thinking and reflection are part and parcel to teaching so that the teacher can understand who they are, what they stand for, and how they plan on teaching. As a future teacher I hope that I will be able to set aside the time to continue to reflect on my practices and experiences so that I may continue to examine my ever changing personal philosophy of education.
In society teachers have always played an important role in shaping our lives. We have all experienced great teachers and others who were not so great. I believe that to become a great teacher you must be aware of your own personal philosophy of education and how it affects and determines the decisions you will make in the education of your students. My personal philosophy has been shaped through my experience in school and in the courses I have taken to prepare as a teacher.
Since teachers are central to the success of the education of our youth I believe that they need to posses certain qualities that would make for an outstanding teacher. To name a few, teachers should be enthusiastic, organized, creative, authentic, knowledgeable, and caring. From experience an important quality in this list is caring, meaning listening to the students and genuinely wanting something good for them. As a teacher I will listen to the needs of the students and attempt to make learning authentic to them by teaching to their interests and looking deeper into elements of the curriculum that interest them while still addressing the required curriculum.
Another aspect of teachers is the teacher’s professional knowledge. I believe that as a teacher I need to be knowledgeable of what I am teaching, how to teach it, and how to make it meaningful for the students. For example teachers should attempt to stay current with developments and new teaching techniques in the field. When teaching I will attend workshops, meetings, and take further courses, for my continuing professional development. Teacher must also have knowledge of the curriculum and subject matter when they are teaching. They should be able to answer related questions that students ask or be willing to look further into finding an answer. As a teacher, I plan on being familiar and knowledgeable with the curriculum... I understand that teachers can’t know everything but they need to have a good grasp of what they are teaching. When they do, they can make better quality lessons and help deeper learning to occur.
As a future teacher the relationships I have plays an important role in my philosophy of education because relations help to define who were are as individuals. A teacher has many different relationships within the school community, and the most important relationship is between the teacher and the student. This relationship needs to be authentic, caring, and genuine. As a teacher it is my goal to develop authentic relationships with all my students. When I was a student I was motivated, I cared about school and I was willing to take risks when I had an authentic relationship with my teacher. An authentic relationship also involves the teacher recognizing that each student is an individual with specific needs and that they have a “backpack” of prior experience. It is important that I uncover these experiences so I can begin to connect and link those experiences with the curriculum and subject matter. I hope to develop these authentic relationships by showing interest in the student’s lives and taking the time to know them. For example during the year I hope to attend one outside activity that each of my students is involved. I also plan on being an active member of the community so that I can see the students and parents outside of the school.
Throughout my experience of Tutors in the Classroom and After School Tutoring for the Catholic Board, I have recognized that each student has different learning styles and different levels of multiple intelligences. By recognizing this I will modify and adjust my lessons accordingly to the needs of these students. It is also important to recognize and understand the student’s physical, social emotion and cognitive development. Before teaching I plan on familiarizing myself in to the works of Piaget and other theorists surrounding development. After being a counselor at a spring camp I have come to believe that behind each behavior is a need. By recognizing this I can help to eliminate needless trips down to the principle’s office or time outs because if I can identify the need then I can help to alter the behavior.
I consider the school environment a vital component to the success of teaching the students. For example, if a school environment is inclusive to every student, and promotes multiculturalism and equality then learning can occur for every student. When I teach I want to create an environment that is inclusive and promotes respect, critical thinking, self expression, multiculturalism, and celebrates diversity. If someone was to walk into my classroom, the room would feel warm and inviting and it would be a place where the students would want to be and learn. There would be space for the students work to be displayed and activity centers that promotes exploration and discovery. I would also use different desk configurations and I would change the room around several times during the year.
As I take more education classes my values, beliefs and assumptions have been challenged, and through critical thought and reflection I have come to understand who I want to be. I believe that critical thinking and reflection are part and parcel to teaching so that the teacher can understand who they are, what they stand for, and how they plan on teaching. As a future teacher I hope that I will be able to set aside the time to continue to reflect on my practices and experiences so that I may continue to examine my ever changing personal philosophy of education.
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