Philosophy of Education
The fundamentals of my philosophy of education are based on igniting a passion for learning, creativity, and to open the minds of my future students. As someone who believes that students should acquire knowledge for enduring great ideas and that education should be based on the needs and interests of the students, I feel that my creative side will help me with adapting to unique situations that every student and classroom presents at one point or another, and that my real-world experiences will help students gain a better understanding and application of key learning outcomes. I believe that my role in a student’s life is to not only teach new skills while ensuring they are engaged during the learning process, but for me to also learn from them. I know that learning for a teacher is never over, and I look forward to the challenges this type of career presents.
There are many ideas about what subjects should and should not be included in the curriculum, but I believe that the most important lessons our children can leave with at the end of the day is a desire to do and be better than when they began. We have children for approximately 13 years of their lives, and so, if done correctly, we have the ability to instill in them the basic tools for success in life, both academically and socially. As a lover and future educator of the English language, I am a firm believer in literacy and ensuring our children have the ability to formulate and express big ideas proficiently and eloquently, as this is an essential skill that will be utilized throughout the rest of their lives. When reading and evaluating written pieces, I do include pointers to address repetitive spelling or grammatical mistakes, but will use these as teachable moments and not as a penalty for the overall content. This is a practice I became aware of during my placement with a senior years English teacher. She would discuss grammar and spelling with her students, but never penalize, unless it was included as a small portion of the rubric. I like this method of assessment, as it allows for them to enhance their skills with writing, without experiencing negative feedback prior to their mastery of it.
Although there are numerous effective methods to teaching, some are more suitable to educating our youth in the art of the English language and literature. I would use a more student-centered approach to my method of teaching in order to coach and facilitate student learning and the comprehension of new material. Although some methods of delivery will appear to be teacher-centered, I will allow for ample opportunities for students to display their understanding of what is being taught, not just during formative assessments. I am aware that every classroom I have will be filled with a wide variety of students with different learning strategies, which I am prepared to handle by adapting lesson plans in order to suit their specific needs. Some examples of this include planning video sessions to provide visual aids to more complex pieces of literature, performances of famous works (such as Shakespeare), and using materials that are relevant to today’s youth in order to engage them further. I have had the opportunity during my practicum to develop and integrate some methods of differentiated learning for these students. On several occasions, making adaptations ‘on the fly’ to lesson guides that were already in place. I was able to see just how well these students thrived when activities and assignments were adapted for them specifically.
In terms of assessment, I plan to use a wide variety of tools to evaluate all three avenues of the learning process; as, of and for; such as think-pair-share sessions, self-evaluations, grading rubrics, and class participation. Again, as with my instructional methods, I will take into consideration my students and their individual needs in regards to assessment and do my best to accommodate accordingly. This includes taking into consideration not only academic limitations, but also mental limitations when it comes to assessment. I know many students suffer from anxiety and have negative feelings about assessment, so I will do what is best for them to ensure they are given a fair assessment of their overall capabilities, even if that means more work for me as a teacher to accumulate more information for their assessment summaries but utilizing methods such as observation, self-assessments, peer-assessments, assignments, and trying to ease their anxiety around tests and exams that are inevitable by ensuring they are properly prepared.
Finally, I would ensure that I establish a sense of community in the classroom. I want students to view it as a safe place to not only express new thoughts and ideas in terms of the course material, but also non-course related topics. I want them to know that I am truly in their corner and wish them the utmost success in education and life. After being in my practicum, I’ve realized that for many of our kids, we are the only adults in their lives that are actively caring participants, and that we need to build positive connotations to those relationships, not just for the present, but for their future with all adults and other authority figures.
There are many ideas about what subjects should and should not be included in the curriculum, but I believe that the most important lessons our children can leave with at the end of the day is a desire to do and be better than when they began. We have children for approximately 13 years of their lives, and so, if done correctly, we have the ability to instill in them the basic tools for success in life, both academically and socially. As a lover and future educator of the English language, I am a firm believer in literacy and ensuring our children have the ability to formulate and express big ideas proficiently and eloquently, as this is an essential skill that will be utilized throughout the rest of their lives. When reading and evaluating written pieces, I do include pointers to address repetitive spelling or grammatical mistakes, but will use these as teachable moments and not as a penalty for the overall content. This is a practice I became aware of during my placement with a senior years English teacher. She would discuss grammar and spelling with her students, but never penalize, unless it was included as a small portion of the rubric. I like this method of assessment, as it allows for them to enhance their skills with writing, without experiencing negative feedback prior to their mastery of it.
Although there are numerous effective methods to teaching, some are more suitable to educating our youth in the art of the English language and literature. I would use a more student-centered approach to my method of teaching in order to coach and facilitate student learning and the comprehension of new material. Although some methods of delivery will appear to be teacher-centered, I will allow for ample opportunities for students to display their understanding of what is being taught, not just during formative assessments. I am aware that every classroom I have will be filled with a wide variety of students with different learning strategies, which I am prepared to handle by adapting lesson plans in order to suit their specific needs. Some examples of this include planning video sessions to provide visual aids to more complex pieces of literature, performances of famous works (such as Shakespeare), and using materials that are relevant to today’s youth in order to engage them further. I have had the opportunity during my practicum to develop and integrate some methods of differentiated learning for these students. On several occasions, making adaptations ‘on the fly’ to lesson guides that were already in place. I was able to see just how well these students thrived when activities and assignments were adapted for them specifically.
In terms of assessment, I plan to use a wide variety of tools to evaluate all three avenues of the learning process; as, of and for; such as think-pair-share sessions, self-evaluations, grading rubrics, and class participation. Again, as with my instructional methods, I will take into consideration my students and their individual needs in regards to assessment and do my best to accommodate accordingly. This includes taking into consideration not only academic limitations, but also mental limitations when it comes to assessment. I know many students suffer from anxiety and have negative feelings about assessment, so I will do what is best for them to ensure they are given a fair assessment of their overall capabilities, even if that means more work for me as a teacher to accumulate more information for their assessment summaries but utilizing methods such as observation, self-assessments, peer-assessments, assignments, and trying to ease their anxiety around tests and exams that are inevitable by ensuring they are properly prepared.
Finally, I would ensure that I establish a sense of community in the classroom. I want students to view it as a safe place to not only express new thoughts and ideas in terms of the course material, but also non-course related topics. I want them to know that I am truly in their corner and wish them the utmost success in education and life. After being in my practicum, I’ve realized that for many of our kids, we are the only adults in their lives that are actively caring participants, and that we need to build positive connotations to those relationships, not just for the present, but for their future with all adults and other authority figures.