Teaching Philosophy

The Plutarch quote “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled” speaks volumes about my views on being a teacher. My goal as a teacher is not to fill student’s heads with facts, formulas, and concepts but to encourage them to enjoy and seek out learning. I want to show my students that learning is a wonderful experience and a precious gift. I believe I can accomplish this goal through (1) creating a classroom environment based on respect, (2) using teaching strategies that meet the needs of all students, and (3) allowing my students to discover learning for themselves.

A classroom should be a place in which the people involved work as a community or a family. It should be a place in which students feel safe, cared for, and respected. I want my students to know that I respect them, their values, and their contributions to the class. By modeling respect they will learn how to respect themselves, others, and property. I want my students to have an active role in the classroom. I believe that giving my students jobs and responsibilities gives them a sense of ownership of the classroom, therefore they will be more likely to take care of it. When respect and responsibility are present in the classroom I feel as though students know what is expected of them and are more likely to meet and exceed those expectations. When a visitor walks into my classroom I hope they see students who are respectful of one another, take care of the classroom, and take pride in their abilities as a student.

I feel strongly about developing the whole child instead of just teaching content. I want to have a classroom that encourages all types of learning by using different types of teaching strategies. Being an educator is not simply teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic, but teaching children to value themselves, their education, and others. I believe that all children learn differently and as a teacher I will teach to different learning styles. I will use hands on and active learning to engage students. My lessons will incorporate authentic and real life examples so that student’s interests are met. All students learn differently therefore I believe it is important for me to figure out how to best meet the needs of each individual child.

Group work, whole class discussion, and individualized instruction will all be key components in my classroom. My students will also learn how to work together and gain understanding through communicating with and learning from others who are both like and unlike them. They will participate in discussion with their peers as well as complete projects in groups. I believe that an important aspect of learning is discovering ideas and knowledge for yourself. My students will be actively involved in their education. I do not want my students to feel as though I am the “giver of knowledge” or “all-knowing” but rather a guide and a resource that is available to them. Students are more apt to construct knowledge when they are involved in discovery learning.