Running head: TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 1

Teaching Philosophy
Jessie Caprio
Regent University

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Teaching Philosophy
When I think of my role of a teacher I often relate it to my own daughter. A large portion
of her time is spent at school in the company of her fellow students and teacher. Outside of our
house, school is the largest influence on my daughters life. Her teacher, specifically, is the
single most influential person outside of her parents. This is a profound responsibility and must
not be taken lightly. As a teacher, I am not only responsible for the education of the children in
my class, I need to value my time with them and take the opportunity to build character and
good habits that will follow them for life.
It is hard to look at a classroom of students and not picture each of them as my
own. I am responsible for them and their well-being, if only for a portion of the day. Like a
good teacher, it is my goal to grow them in positive ways that will follow them throughout their
life. When they leave my class they will be filled with confidence and possess strong problem
solving skills. They will know what being a good citizen is, and how to achieve that goal. I
want to teach them about goals, how to set them and how to achieve whatever they set their
hearts to. Most importantly, I will instill kindness, love, patience, and generosity. Dr. Seuss put
it perfectly when he said You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can
steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go... (Seuss, 1990, pg. 6). My students will know
that where they go in life is their choice and that they can reach for the sky.
The foundation of achieving my classroom goals are rooted in classroom
management. This starts with creating a safe positive environment for all of my students. I do
not plan on yelling or teaching from a negative stance. In fact, I believe behavior management

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can be a wholly positive experience. Children should not have to clip down or be verbally
corrected when misbehaving. I feel this gives attention to activities that do not deserve attention.
Instead, children should be praised for their good qualities. For example, if a child is talking out
of turn, I might praise a child near them for sitting patiently. This empowers students to always
strive to do the right thing.
Consistency is also critical to student behavior. Students should know what to
expect in the classroom. This includes both behavior management and routines. A students day
should be built on a solid routine. They should not only know what to expect every morning, but
should start the routine without any instruction. I will strive to reach this level consistency
throughout the day. This consistency can also be applied to behavior management. Only
praising good behavior will not work if I occasionally correct the bad. My reaction will be
consistent and predictable. It is important for students to know how I will react to them prior to
them acting. This fosters a sense of safety in the classroom and allows an environment where the
students will be comfortable talking to me.
My classroom will primarily be small group oriented. There certainly is value in
whole group instruction but I feel the benefits of small group instruction greatly outweighs
teaching exclusively in front of the class. It allows for greater differentiation between students
by grouping based on skill level and altering the products each group receives. I can observe
multiple groups studying at any number of instructional levels simultaneously. When extra
guidance is needed, I can give personalized instruction and address the group or an individual
student. It also allows for me to connect with my students to a greater degree. Small groups are
also where I am the most comfortable. I instruct better when I can connect with the student and

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gauge their response. I can tell when they understand what I am saying or when I need to spend
more time on a subject. This is much harder to do in a large group setting.
Faith is an important part of my life and is prevalent in almost everything I do.
Jesus told us that You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all
your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love
your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39, NLT). My primary concern with my students,
parents, fellow teachers, and administration is to love them, to take care of them, and to show
strong Christian values not by preaching the word, but by the actions I take when I am around
them. Paul wrote about love in his first letter to the church in Corinth. He said Love is patient
and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is
not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but
rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful,
and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NLT). These are the principals
that will guide me through my days as a teacher and what I will expect from the children in my
class.
When I started my education as a teacher I had a strong desire to positively affect
each and every child in my class. I wanted them to leave at the end of the year a better person
than they started. Although I still have this desire, I now have a better idea how to accomplish
my goal. One of the greatest transitions I made was in behavior management. I had a strong
sense of what I thought would be most effective from my experiences in education. A system
where children clipped down when they were bad and clipped up when they were good was at
the top of my list. I felt as though a class needed both positive and negative consequences for
actions. This opinion changed as I progressed through my education. I came to see negative

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reinforcement as non-effective. Instead of discouraging bad behavior, it recognized it. A more
effective result can be accomplished with a wholly positive response to students.
I was also surprised at the variety in the types of learners comprising a class. Prior to my
observations and student teaching experiences, I knew every child was unique. I also knew what
differentiation was and that it was important in the class. I was still, somehow, surprised at the
difference in the learning levels of students. Some students learned the curriculum immediately
where as others took slightly more instruction. This greatly changed how I approached time
management and instruction as a whole.
As a teacher I plan the give the students the best of what I have. I will
love them, guide them, and care for them in everything we do. Like Dr. Seuss said, Unless
someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. Its not. (Seuss, 1971,
pg. 11).

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References
Seuss, D. (1990). Oh, the places you'll go! New York: Random House.
Seuss, D. (1971). The Lorax New York: Random House.