Educational Philosophy My philosophy is that special needs does not necessarily require a diagnosis.

. Childrens special needs may be based on their background, including language, culture, race, religion, ethnicity, class and gender. All children have special needs because no two children learn alike. George Evans once said, Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or in the same way. I will be educating to give each child an equal opportunity to learn. I appreciate that every child is unique and that all children are different in the way they think, communicate, relate to others, and understand the world around them. This is why I believe in a learning environment that promotes diversity and accommodates for individual differences. Every child has a dissimilar set of needs, which I will strive to meet to the best of my ability. When a child is not able to understand, the child is not at fault. Alternate methods must be provided to teach the content in such a manner that makes sense to him or her. Rather than trying to squeeze students into predetermined molds, I believe in a multitude of individualized models for determining success in school. Educators should not strip children of who they are and what they know, but should respect and enhance what is already there. The teachers role is not merely to transfer information from textbook to student. The teachers role is to serve as a guide, as a learner along with the children who is also open and receptive to feedback. I will strive to create an egalitarian atmosphere where teachers and students work together as partners to create a mutually respected and a shared classroom power, language, and culture that all students have access to and feel connected to. The classroom is a place where the social hierarchy is minimal; the division between teacher and student small. Children are viewed and treated as competent and capable self-governed individuals. Like John Dewey, I believe children should interact with the curriculum and should take part in their own learning. Knowledge should be contextual and relatable. I believe children learn best when they are asked to solve problems by nurturing their own curiosities. The emphasis should be placed on the discovery process; how to find an answer even if the outcome is not the intended one. I will teach not only for the what, but also for the why and how so that children can replicate process and apply it to future learning experiences. How useful or transferrable will knowledge be without a firm grasp on concepts? As Ive learned from Liping Ma, conceptual knowledge enhances our understanding of procedural knowledge. I will encourage the love of asking questions, asking for help, and ultimately self-advocacy. I believe these critical building blocks help to foster intrinsic motivation and are necessary for students to navigate their future love of learning. Finally, I always keep John Deweys wise words close to heart, Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. A childs education should be treated with fragility as it is not the prologue to life, but rather it is one of the main chapters.