Tammie Smith Philosophy of Education The philosophy of education is defined as the inquiry into the ideas that dominate

educational theory and policy. With that being said, I have several theories and policies that dominate my educational world. In thinking about my philosophy of education, I think about the classroom, the needs of my children, the curriculum and assessing learning. A supportive classroom and school is essential to the growth and success of a school and student performance. When a child feels loved and supported in the class, they are more willing to take chance on learning and voicing their needs as learners. When a teacher feels valued and support in the school they are more likely to be at school every day, take more ownership in their students learning and have higher morale, thus better student performance. Support from the administrator is a trickledown effect on the whole school. If the principal is supportive, truly caring about the lives of her staff, understanding and fair, then these traits trickle down to the teachers making them happier and the students benefit from this sense of supportive, safe, sincere school. Managing a class efficiently is the backbone to children learning and being successful. All children can learn academically and behaviorally. Behaviors must be under control before academics can be taught. It is the role of the teacher to make sure the behavior expectations are in place and followed through. As a teacher it is extremely important that children be taught a curriculum in a way that is meaningful to them. Teachers need to follow the state and district curriculum in order to make sure children get the learning foundation they need to build on skills as their school years progress. When building a house, you start at the bottom and work your way up, this holds true for learning as well. If a strong foundation and love of learning is not instilled early on, a childs house of knowledge will crumble. Once the curriculum and objectives have been taught it is necessary to determine if mastery has been met. Assessment needs to measure what was taught in a higher level manner. Making sure children know what is expected of them ahead of time will help them in learning. In teaching, the main goal is for children to learn. Teachers need to make sure they are following the curriculum, managing classroom behaviors, and assessing that meaningful learning is taking place.