Philosophy of Education By Elizabeth Hutchinson Love is the foundation of my teaching philosophy.

I believe that it has to be the source of my motivation, the inspiration for my students, and the essence that wraps around them. During their journey through the classroom, I hope to build childrens confidence in Gods love for them and faith in how this love can see them through lifes challenges. Parker Palmer says We teach who we are. I believe this whole-heartedly. A teacher must be more than methodology and strategies. They must bring their passions and their beliefs into the classroom, not for children to mimic, but to awaken in them an engagement with the life, beauty and grace around them. When you teach with an open heart you value children for who they are, not the behaviors they exhibit. My greatest responsibility as an educator is to guide them towards self-discovery, inspiring their confidence in themselves, and a deep pride for the gifts God has given them. I propose that to achieve such lofty goals, a teacher must find the balance between a loving classroom community, consistent boundaries, and high expectations. Children need to know you believe in them. When you are a true role model, you live and teach in a way that is authentic to your beliefs. Classroom management revolves around fear of disappointing you, rather than fear of your anger. The world our students are preparing for is changing with every step they take. It is becoming more globalized. Our children are challenged to expand their community to incorporate this global perspective. This often means learning tolerance, acceptance and respect for things foreign to them. We need to inspire our children to celebrate our differences, and infect them with a curiosity to seek and explore the unknown. These passions have to grow out of a developed love of learning, not a desire to master skills and chase grades. I stand behind the constructivist view that children learn best when they create their own knowledge. We need to let them be coauthors of their education, influencing the direction it takes and the themes it encompasses. The classroom should become a community where problem solving, creative thinking and team-work are exalted above skill based assessments. Our teaching needs to be as diverse as our students, in order to be authentic to their lives. The jobs they will be chasing dont yet exist, and the technology they will use has not yet been invented. When we arm our children with the confidence to think outside the box and embrace new challenges, we prepare them for a world that is continually changing. The Catholic Educational System incites its teachers to empower the entire child. I am not just building literacy and numeracy, but empathy and self-reflection as well. As teachers we must be willing to adhere to the same self-reflection. We teach from who we are, not just what we know. We must amount to more than a series of degrees, announcing proficiency in multiple subjects. We must be able to live the faith that we teach, and be open to the challenges that arise both inside and outside of the classroom. We should be continually growing on the journey that God has given us, exploring what each new experience teaches us about ourselves, and the greater

world that we are a part of. The mysteries of this world inspire me to no end with a thirst for learning, and a deep-seated love for Gods creations. As a teacher, I want to inspire a child to see the wonder of the world around them, and to want to engage with it, and have the confidence to put their hearts into their explorations. If they fall in love with learning their education will continue long after they leave the classroom. When we teach with Christian values at the forefront we are able to inspire the heart as well as the head. Jesus is a teacher too, and the greatest value he imparts is love. If children learn to love God first, then their neighbour, as well as themselves- to put a wealth of love for life into all they do- what wonders they will bring forth in the future.