Decision
My decision to become a teacher has been
in the works since I was in grade school. All of my teachers have been
wonderful and I have always admired the way they made learning enjoyable with
creative and interesting projects, took us to amazing places, and were always
there when we needed them. We were given high expectations and knew our school
environment was a fair and safe place to be.
I felt that going to college to become a teacher was one of my big goals in life after I separated my perspective on teaching. For years I felt like I wanted to become a teacher because of how much I enjoyed school. Soon, I developed other reasons why I wanted to become a teacher. I wanted to help struggling students, foster the gifted and talented, and keep the ‘at-grade-level’ students reaching for the stars. During school, I felt like I lived in my own little bubble and it was not until I found myself entering middle school and high school realizing that becoming a teacher was turning from a dream to a passion. I saw my classmates uninspired and lacking any great zeal for school. I understand that school may not be an easy place to be for just anyone, but why did I enjoy it so much? Why did my other classmates, who were struggling throughout elementary school, come out on top as great scholars? I have realized that if I can make even the smallest impact on any child’s life, it may aid any struggle they come across for the rest of their life.
Philosophy
My philosophy is ever changing and will continue to do so throughout my career. With every new year, I will make sure to note each year’s strength and weaknesses and adjust my philosophy accordingly. As it stands now, I feel that educating a child takes time and patience. My philosophy is not that every child can learn; it is that every child will learn. My classroom will promote a harmonious balance between learning routines, important subject matter, and creating a respectful atmosphere. The goal in my classroom is to take the incoming students and guide them through the steps of success in being little people in a big world. There is no ‘failure’ in my class; just success. Even if it is the success in learning how to write their name or memorizing the Pythagorean Theorem, every student will succeed with something each day.
Curriculum and High Expectations
When it comes to curriculum, I believe that books given to each grade level is
a wonderful guide for keeping students and teacher on track through the year,
but I also believe it is important to integrate new and exciting lessons that
parallel the guides in a fresh new way when needed. Whether I am teaching
kindergarten or eighth grade, my expectations are high. I will push my students
to do their best, but also pay attention to the needs. Each student will have a
different expectation course that I will set once I get to know them.
Technology
I am very interested in new technology and a firm believer that the change in
technology can help the world in many ways. I enjoyed implementing the Elmo
projector and the new SMART Board technology during my student teaching
experience. Whether we like it or not, children seemed to be glued to
television sets and computer screens. Creating a balance between audio and
visual learning by using this new technology is incredibly exciting—especially
since the kinesthetic learning is fit right in by using touch technology. I am
open and willing to experiment with any new technology that a school system has
implemented into their classrooms.
Atmosphere
To help my students learn and develop as individuals, I will put forth my
greatest effort to create a classroom that promotes a positive outlook on
learning. I feel like I am an exciting person- I seem to exude enthusiasm about
the subjects I teach and love to put my best foot forward every day. I
understand that there will be students on grade level, struggling to understand
the basics, and the gifted and talented. I need to meet all of the needs of
these students with special attention. Even though it is difficult, I feel as
though one on one attention at least once every two weeks is imperative.
Communication
I also feel that maintaining open communication between student and teacher is important. I want to make sure that each of my students feels that they can come to me with any problem they have; from trouble at home, to trouble on a concept we are learning. I want my students to feel like I am an adult they can trust. Students will feel loved and welcome in my classroom. I want all students to know that their teacher is proud of them every day for the smart choices they make. Laughter is also incredibly important. Depending on the appropriateness of the situation, laughing with students about something creates a healthy relationship. I feel that students need to see both the person and the teacher.
Overall, my opinion is that children learn the best when all of the above is applied in a classroom setting. As I grow through my years of educating children, I will modify my philosophy as I understand the reaction of situations.
