Kori Schultz 4/18/2013 Philosophy of Education Statement When I was seven years old, I started begging my older cousins

to play school with me. I also refused to play unless I was the teacher. Even at such a young age, I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I am so passionate about the importance of education and I have always wanted to work with children. Many of the women in my family have been involved in education and I have always looked to these women for inspiration. I also am close friends with some of my teachers from my elementary school and high school. Growing up in a small community taught me to value things that other people may take for granted. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have been given to make a difference in stud ents lives, as my teachers have made an impact in mine. I believe that teachers should incorporate as many useful tools as possible in the classroom. Using a variety of methods will help keep students focused on the lesson. I strongly believe in the use of technology in learning when it supports the lesson being taught. I also plan to incorporate hands on activities in my classroom to reach the students who learn more kinesthetically. The role of a teacher should be to guide and support children throughout their days in their class and beyond and to motivate them to become more knowledgeable, both academically and personally. I know that it is important to both challenge and support students, and should be careful to not over-challenge or let the students over-rely on my support to the point where learning is compromised. I believe that students should be motivated to learn to think for themselves so that they can later fend for themselves in the real world. I belong to the Democratic school of thought in that I most agree with the Existentialism educational

philosophy. I think that students should have a choice in what they learn and that these choices will guide their development into productive adults. To me, learning means bettering oneself academically, socially, spiritually, or personally. I believe that learning can be measured in a variety of ways and while I understand the importance of testing, I dont think that it is always the best measure of a students knowledge. Learning should also be measured with activities and observation. The classroom teaching/learning strategies I plan to implement include student-centered learning, discussion, group projects, individual research, and student choice of topics and assignments. Learning is one of the main focuses of a formal education but students will not be as motivated to learn things that they dont care about. Applying lessons to real-life scenarios will help keep students interested in their studies. Albert Einstein once said Any fool can know. The point is to understand. Simply memorizing facts for tests will not be helpful in a students future, they need to truly understand the concepts they are being taught. The two biggest teaching goals I have are teaching children to maintain their integrity, even when they are tempted to do things they know they should not, and teaching children to be able to think through situations on their own and learn valuable life skills in the process. I think integrity is such an important characteristic in a person and teaching my students to stick to their values is an invaluable life lesson. Critical thinking skills are also vital to success later in life. I want to apply what I am teaching to everyday scenarios and let children focus on how and why they would solve problems rather than just going through the motions to solve them. Personal and professional development is central to a teachers ability to connect with their students. With this in mind, I have set goals for myself and plan to always go above and

beyond what is necessary for my job. I plan to always be energetic and prepared for my lessons. I am not a procrastinator and do not like leaving things for the last minute. Providing this good example for my students will encourage them to also not put things off. I also want my students to be happy to come to my classroom and to not be bored. Engaging students is vital to the learning process. A student who is not engaged will not truly understand what he or she is being taught. A student-centered classroom will help to keep students engaged and interested. Letting students work together to solve problems rather than relying on the teacher to provide answers will help develop their critical thinking skills. Finally, I want to stay up-to-date with ever-changing technology and curriculum that could possibly help reach more students than before. Changing up teaching strategies to reach the maximum number of students will improve everyones performance in the classroom. I have wanted to be a teacher ever since I can remember. I am so excited for the chance to shape the next generation of future world leaders, athletes, doctors, teachers, and missionaries. Through the implementation of modern technology and student-centered classroom techniques, I truly believe that I can have an impact on everyone who comes through the doors of my classroom.