Lindsay Curtin

Sheila Dean
CI 405
Philosophy Statement
For as long as I can remember, teaching has been my passion. The idea of helping

students strive to be all they can be has always excited me. I feel that too often, education

becomes a burden rather than a goal. I desire to change this view of education and to make it

interesting so my students are eager and curious to learn. In order of achieving this goal, I plan

to create an inviting environment where everyone feels accepted and where communication is

vital. I also plan on making students desire learning through a variety of teaching methods and

by creating an interesting, engaging curriculum.

One of the most important aspects of teaching is the classroom environment. In my

classroom, I feel that all students should be respected and treated equally to one another.

Disrespect will not be tolerated in my classroom and this rule will be implemented from the very

moment the students walk through the door. A respectful environment will allow all children to

freely speak their minds without worrying about receiving negative reactions from either their

classmates or myself. Instilling the idea of respect into each and every one of my students will

reinforce that everyone is different, but differences should be looked at positively as being

unique rather than negatively. I also feel it is extremely important to start each and everyday on a

positive note. Not everyday will be perfect and I know that it is impossible to expect that

everyday I will be in a wonderful mood, but regardless everyday the children should be greeted

with a smile and a positive attitude. Another aspect that will be crucial in my classroom is

focusing on the positive things students are doing. I never want my students to feel like they are

incapable of anything; therefore I will make sure to always praise them on positive aspects of

their work and behavior.

 Not only is the emotional climate of the classroom atmosphere vital, but so is the physical

climate. I believe a classroom should be filled with vibrant colors, inspirational quotes, and my

students’ work. Bright, vibrant colors liven up the classroom while creating a more interesting

physical environment. Inspirational quotes should also be found all over the walls because they

are a source of motivation when students are struggling with something whether it is school,

family, or friend related. I believe the projects of my students should be showcased to show how

proud I am of their accomplishments as well as to allow their peers to see how creative their

classmates are.

While each class will operate as its own community, it is extremely important to bring in

the broader community such as fellow colleagues and parents. I most certainly will go to my

fellow teachers when I need suggestions on lessons or getting through to students. I will also

seek advice from teachers who are more experienced when I am unsure of how to proceed in a

situation. Not only are teachers important people in the community who I should communicate

with, but so are parents. I feel communication with parents is absolutely necessary. I want

parents to beware of what is happening in my classroom as well as I would like to be aware of

what is going on with my students outside of the classroom. I hope to implement journals that

can be passed back and forth between parents and myself where comments and concerns can be

voiced. I would also love for parents as well as other members of the community to come in and

talk to my students about their occupations, ethnicities, and struggles or prosperities in life. I

feel my students can learn extensively from the experiences of others and I plan to involve as

many community members as possible.

Classroom management is also extremely important to the success of my students as well

as the success of myself as a teacher. From the very first day I plan to implement ground rules
that will be enforced consistently throughout the school year. For the first week of school at

least I would like to continuously reinforce these rules through different activities to ensure my

students know what is expected of them in regards to behavior. I feel through reinforcing the

rules, I will be taking preventive measures and hopefully decreasing behavior problems. I will

also use a system of intrinsic rewards because I feel that praising a child really motivates a

child’s behavior. Extrinsic rewards will not be used on an individual level, but they will be used

where the class operates as a whole. This way students are not singled out on an individual level

for everyone else to see.

Teaching is not only about management of students’ behavior and the environment, but

on how and what is taught within the classroom. I believe that a variety of teaching methods

should be implemented to ensure that all students’ abilities are being fostered to. By using a

variety of teaching methods, I am acknowledging that all students learn differently. To

effectively reach all of my students, I want to make sure that their learning styles are

implemented into my teaching. For example, I will make sure to use a variety of hands on

activities, create visual diagrams, as well as explain certain things step by step audibly. Since

there are different ways of learning, I believe that different assessments should be used as well.

Examining whether or not students understand material can not only be assessed through a test

because some students regardless of understanding have a difficult time performing well on tests.

I want to truly know how much of the material my students are understanding and through

different assessments whether it be a presentation, test, or simply observing, I feel I will have a

better notion than if I were to solely use one form of assessment. Through different assessments,

I will be aware of how the material my students are struggling with and I will be able to better

diagnose whether it is because of how I am teaching the material or if it is an individual student

who needs one on one attention. Using several different forms of assessment will also help me

to better judge the progress and improvements each of my students have made over the course of

a specific time period.

I believe that all subjects should be given equal attention. Although standardized tests

focus on reading and mathematics, I believe students deserve a curriculum that is well balanced.

Every student will have differing interests and I believe each subject should be given the same

amount of focus to foster these differing interests. I also believe that the fine arts such as music

and art are extremely important in my students’ curriculum. I plan on incorporating music and

art into the other core subjects to signify their importance as well as make my lessons more

creative. Achievement on standardized testing is extremely important, so I will focus on

strategies that help my students be successful, but I would also find ways of incorporating these

strategies into other lessons and subjects to make them more memorable and engaging. To

reflect on my own teaching, I believe it is important to think about the different methods that are

working as well as the methods that are not getting through to my students. Through this

reflection, I can better assess my own teaching and find ways to better get material through to my

students.