Teaching Philosophy

My philosophy on education centers on the following beliefs and practices:

I.

I believe that the curriculum that I am teaching is of the highest value and should be
tailored to the strengths and needs of each individual student.
This means valuing curriculum and placing it in the utmost importance. It is material
that should be practiced and mastered. Material should be related to students in the
most individualized way possible, and it should also be relatable to the students.
Pulling background knowledge and real world examples is beneficial and valuable to
the students success in my classroom. Not every student learns in the same manner,
therefore, I differentiate lessons with a variety of instructional strategies. In my
classroom, I use a variety of modems to convey material, such as guided notes;
videos; hands-on activities including labs; research, both online and from the
textbook; demonstrations; small group work; class discussions; and individual work.
Several methods are used within each unit in order to ensure that each student,
regardless of whether they are a visual, kinesthetic, or other type of learner, has an
activity targeted towards their learning style.

II.

I believe that students learn best when engaged in the lessons.

This means finding lessons that students find value in, and lessons that relate to
students lives. One way I engage students in the lessons is to relate the content to
their lives, what they view as valuable and important. By using relatable content,
students are more likely to be motivated to complete the task, and to remain engaged
in class. Through scaffolding and creating activities that actively involve students,
they are required to think critically and constantly seek the next answer. This engages
students throughout the lesson, and hopefully increases their motivation in class.
Being engaged within the lesson is important and allows for better learning.

III.

I believe in doing rather than seeing, that students learn best through hands-on
activities.
This means that students learn by what drives them, and what drives them is hands-on
activities. I create and conduct lessons and activities that incorporate practices as well
as hands-on activities to teach the content. Demonstrations, labs, explorations, models
all of these are ways in which students can learn and discover information in order to
enrich their learning and deepen their understanding. What students do is what they
learn.

IV.

I believe in curiosity, that all students should have a sense of wonder, and that they
should always ask questions.
This means that I want my students to always ask why, and not just trust what is
said as fact. I believe that asking questions is the key to learning. Without questions,
without curiosity, we would never learn more, we would never explore new things.
Learning comes from asking why, and I want nothing more for my students than to
challenge their own learning, and to challenge my teaching, through questions.
Through asking why, students and I will continue to deepen our learning and enrich
our lives as a result.
They say curiosity killed the cat, and I want my students to ask, why was the cat
killed? How was it done? What was used?

V.

I believe in keeping students ideas central.

This means that the connections that are made between concepts are made by students
themselves, and not told to them by an instructor. Making the connections is what
makes the content meaningful to students, therefore, I create assignments and
activities that allow students to make connections and take ownership of their
learning. I use an array of instructional tools that are geared toward having students
make connections between content on their own, in small group models, and in whole
class discussions. These tools and activities elicit students background knowledge as
well as help them to build upon their ideas. They allow for students ideas to remain
central, and to be built upon throughout future lessons.

VI.

I believe that every student has the right to learn, and each student is important and
should be treated as such.
This means making sure that no child is passed over or ignored. Each child has the
same right to learn, and no child is more or less important than another. Children
should not be labeled or placed higher in priority than others. I treat all children in my
class with the same expectations, and I hold them to the same standards.

a. I believe that differences in student backgrounds, whether socioeconomic,

cultural, religious, racial, or otherwise should be valued and looked upon highly.

This means valuing students who are rich, poor, African American, Caucasian,
Indian American, Catholic, Mormon, and everything in between. It means ridding
myself of cultural or any other bias. I recognize the differences among students,
and I plan to learn about varying cultures. Through inquiry and learning, I place
value on each individuals background.

b. I believe that every student is unique.

This means that I value my classroom as a room of individuals, not as a collective
mass of students. Each and every student has something unique to bring to the
classroom, and they are each special. I recognize that they are not only unique in
personality, but in learning styles too. I differentiate instruction based on the
needs of these varying learning styles.

VII.

I believe that as an educator, I should put forth my best effort in and outside the
classroom.
This means that my teaching career is more than just a job. Teaching requires viewing
your work as a higher goal with numerous intrinsic rewards that come along with
helping students become better individuals. It means putting forth your best effort and
working as hard as you possibly can every single day that you are a professional.

VIII. I believe in a positive classroom environment.

This means that the behavior that students have in my classroom must be positive.
Positive towards me, their instructor, positive towards their classmates and the
learning experience, and positive towards themselves. Students must not disrupt the
learning environment, and I strive to maintain classroom order in this way. An
optimistic environment, as well as an encouraging one, allows for a place for students
to feel comfortable and safe, and a place in which they come ready to learn.

I believe in promoting a student-centered classroom, one in which students are learning,

engaged, and treated fairly. All students deserve the chance to learn, and I will do whatever I can
to make sure that they are each given the opportunity to learn as much as I can possibly teach
them, whether that be in or out of the classroom. I encourage students to ask me why every
day, as this will only deepen their knowledge and understanding, and allow them to make their
own connections between content. This is my philosophy.