Philosophy of Education
I have always wanted to be a teacher. As a teacher, I have the privilege of helping children learn subject matter while guiding them in their personal development. Students view the world in such a unique way and it is my job to create an exciting and relevant learning environment. A major aspect of my philosophy of teaching is relationship building. I believe the most important role of a teacher is that of a mentor. A teacher needs to understand his or her students and know what is going on in their lives in order to effectively teach them. Students learn better from people with whom they have a greater connection. Building a connection right away will help me know exactly what my students are capable of and what kinds of teacher they expect me to be. It is also important to make a connection with parents as well. Most students learn best with multiple reinforcements and open communication with parents will help reinforce the material learned in the classroom. The first thing that I plan to do when placed in a classroom is to begin building a relationship with my students and show them that I respect them and give them a reason to want to respect me.
My classroom will be a safe place for all students; a place where they feel comfortable and a place where they want to be. When I was in high school, there was one classroom that I always wanted to be. It was nothing special, just your average classroom, but the teacher made it a fun place to be, even before or after the actual school day. I want to be the kind of teacher that students feel comfortable asking for advice and with whom they want to have a personal relationship. My classroom will be a place of inspiration as well. There will be posters and pictures hanging up around the room. It will be a place where students will feel comfortable learning and where they can get the resources and help they need to succeed. I want nothing more than to be able to share my love for the subject I am teaching and to let my students know that I care about them.
The method of teaching and assessment that I will put into practice in my classroom will really depend on the need and learning styles of the students in my class. The energetic and kinesthetic learners will need more hands-on activities and assessments, while others learn best from lectures and multiple-choice exams. I will work hard to understand the various learning styles of my students so that I can accommodate their specific learning styles to enhance their learning. I believe that tests are a good way of directly assessing students, but they are definitely not the only method of assessment that I will utilize in my classes. My assessments will vary from tests and quizzes to hands-on labs and projects. From my experience, project based learning (PBL) is highly effective for students of all abilities. I, myself, have learned that I am not the best test taker and know that I perform better when evaluated in other ways. If I struggle with tests and exams, I know for sure I will have some students in the class who struggle as well. I want to make sure I apply a wide variety of assessments so that I can make sure my students are evaluated in ways that best display their knowledge.
Classroom management must start from day one. The first day of class the students and I will develop a social contract that each student will sign. It's important that the students help to create the social contract complete with natural consequences. That way, if someone violates the social contract, they are held accountable because they wrote it and signed it saying they were going to follow those rules. These consequences will be similar to what would happen in the "real world" when rules or contracts are broken. The most important part about classroom and behavior management is teaching the students how to be responsible for their actions.
I am a very relationship-oriented person, I like knowing my students and the challenges that life throws their way. I feel that relationships can lead to creating a safe place for all students and a better understanding of how kids think and learn. As a teacher, my primary goal is to make sure my students leave my class with a greater understanding of not only the world around them, but of themselves and their ability to learn.
My classroom will be a safe place for all students; a place where they feel comfortable and a place where they want to be. When I was in high school, there was one classroom that I always wanted to be. It was nothing special, just your average classroom, but the teacher made it a fun place to be, even before or after the actual school day. I want to be the kind of teacher that students feel comfortable asking for advice and with whom they want to have a personal relationship. My classroom will be a place of inspiration as well. There will be posters and pictures hanging up around the room. It will be a place where students will feel comfortable learning and where they can get the resources and help they need to succeed. I want nothing more than to be able to share my love for the subject I am teaching and to let my students know that I care about them.
The method of teaching and assessment that I will put into practice in my classroom will really depend on the need and learning styles of the students in my class. The energetic and kinesthetic learners will need more hands-on activities and assessments, while others learn best from lectures and multiple-choice exams. I will work hard to understand the various learning styles of my students so that I can accommodate their specific learning styles to enhance their learning. I believe that tests are a good way of directly assessing students, but they are definitely not the only method of assessment that I will utilize in my classes. My assessments will vary from tests and quizzes to hands-on labs and projects. From my experience, project based learning (PBL) is highly effective for students of all abilities. I, myself, have learned that I am not the best test taker and know that I perform better when evaluated in other ways. If I struggle with tests and exams, I know for sure I will have some students in the class who struggle as well. I want to make sure I apply a wide variety of assessments so that I can make sure my students are evaluated in ways that best display their knowledge.
Classroom management must start from day one. The first day of class the students and I will develop a social contract that each student will sign. It's important that the students help to create the social contract complete with natural consequences. That way, if someone violates the social contract, they are held accountable because they wrote it and signed it saying they were going to follow those rules. These consequences will be similar to what would happen in the "real world" when rules or contracts are broken. The most important part about classroom and behavior management is teaching the students how to be responsible for their actions.
I am a very relationship-oriented person, I like knowing my students and the challenges that life throws their way. I feel that relationships can lead to creating a safe place for all students and a better understanding of how kids think and learn. As a teacher, my primary goal is to make sure my students leave my class with a greater understanding of not only the world around them, but of themselves and their ability to learn.