Sarah Mecklenburg

Professor Crisostomo
LBS 400
3.3.15
My Philosophy of Education
Many people question the purpose of education. I believe I am here not
only to teach children, but also to help them understand one more piece of
the puzzle, of life. I believe our purpose is to educate children who will one
day become the future people of society, to give all students equal
opportunity, and instill confidence. Ever Garrison (2007) said, A teacher is a
compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in
the pupils. As a future teacher, that is my goal and motivation. It is also our
responsibility to inform and broaden childrens experiences. While obtaining
these goals, as teachers, it is our job to keep an open mind and accept
diversity. So how do we do this?
Creating a safe learning environment is crucial. According to Peterson
& Wilson (2006), Each person brings different experiences, understanding,
and background to the classroom. Children need to feel safe in order to let
their guard down and allow the learning to begin. Unfortunately, growing up I
did not experience this in all my classrooms. Through my experience of
working in a classroom, I have found that many students do not feel safe in
their own homes. It is important to make children feel safe at school because
they spend a majority of their day at school. It is also important to have an

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organized, engaging, and positive environment. As teachers we need to be
actively listening to our students so that they will want to engage in their
learning environment. I also feel that having a colorful and lively room can
mentally stimulate and help focus the kids. If the children feel like the
classroom environment is their classroom, it will make them feel apart of
something. By having the children contribute to the classroom dcor and
layout, in return the students are the ones who created an environment that
they feel safe in.
One of the key components that can be easily overlooked is getting to
know your children very well. The commitment needs to be taken on by the
teacher, parents, and the school as a whole. When the commitment is
balanced and each person is being an active member, the child will be
supported in all areas of their life. This level of commitment requires
knowing your children well and using strategies for equality. With Common
Core State Standards, students will be able to critically think, problem-solve,
collaborate, communicate effectively through written and oral language, and
access and analyze information (Dana, 2011). One of the ways a teacher
can get to know their students better is by taking that first month of school
to team build, create trust, and motivate the students. If these standards are
executed correctly, the Common Core State Standards will provide each
student an equal opportunity for success.
I believe that when you are teaching, everything should have purpose
and should be meaningful to the children. A starting point is to use the

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environment that the children are already familiar with and scaffold from
there. According to Barbara Stripling (2009-2014), Research tells us that
students engaged in inquiry are more motivated to pursue learning on their
own than students who are fed pre-organized information that they are
expected to remember. Children often get bored because they feel that the
information is not relatable to their current life. So I intend to make the
information relatable to the students. In addition, the best way to keep
children engaged is to apply knowledge to real life situations that is relevant
to them. What better way to make information personal than by using your
life experiences as a reference point. Relatable information will also increase
their comprehensive skills and store information in their long-term memory.
Another aspect of curriculum is acknowledging the fact that kids naturally
have a lot of energy. So why are teachers not using it? In order for students
to learn, understanding and incorporating childrens ideas, body, and
emotions will not only take some of the work load off, but it will validate the
childrens feelings and make them feel special.
Although each teacher has their own unique teaching style, certain
characteristics make an effective teacher. An effective teacher needs to be
engaged, assertive, knowledgeable, attentive, and enthusiastic. When
people think back about that one or two teachers who made an impact on
their lives, most of the time these list of words would represent the teacher.
Barbara Stripling (2009-2014) states, Teachers need to integrate process
and content. Inquiry approach will drive questions, investigating, making

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connections with information and developing new understanding. Growing
up I had a lot of teachers who showed me who I do not want to be. I know
today that I have the opportunity to impact a students life forever, and I
plan to do that in the most positive and effective manner possible. Every
teacher has a responsibility to be organized, transparent, and adaptable with
new technology. It is an educators job to connect, and learn how ideas
connect to one another and applying them to real-world problems, enhancing
the probability that they will be remembered and usable later (Bransford,
Darling-Hammond & LePage, P.23). An effective teacher is well-rounded and
teachers their students how to become well-rounded themselves.

Reference Page
Bransford, Darling-Hammond & LePage. Preparing teachers for a changing
world: what teachers should learn and be able to do.
Dana (2011). Inquiring into the common core.
Garrison. (2007). Quotes by Ever Garrison.
Oaker & Lipton. (2003). Schooling: Wrestling with history and tradition in
teaching to change the world.
Peterson & Wilson. (2006). Theories of learning and teaching what do they
mean for educators? NEA: 2006
Stripling. (2009-2014). Inquiry: Inquiring minds want to know.

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