My own teaching philosophy cannot be wholly summed up in one brief
summary, but only by my actions and accomplishments of my students. I
“A hundred years from now it will
not matter what my bank account
was, the sort of house I lived in, or
the kind of car I drove, but the
world maybe different because I
was important in the life of a
child.”
—Kathy Davis
“I want to be successful because
my students are better because I
taught them, because someone
cared, and because they achieved
things they never thought they
could.”
“I want to become a teacher
because I care what happens to the
percent of our youth that we
pretend don’t exist and who need
our help the most because everyone
believes they can’t achieve
success.”
“By learning you will teach, by
teaching you will learn.”
--Latin Proverb
believe this to be so, because it is a direct reflection of my own experiences,
personality, and teaching; which is anything but uniform. I do not believe that
the philosophies in and of themselves fit into one perfect definition, but the
individual’s views, interpretations, and instructional strategies affect the
application and completion of an effective educational philosophy.
My educational philosophy is based on my belief that education is an ongoing
process, which aids in the development of knowledge, skills, abilities, and
character in a person. My educational philosophy aligns completely with the
philosophy of both my professional and personal life. It affects my attitude,
influences my decisions, and directs my actions with others.
The most important person in the classroom is the student, and as the students’
teacher, I need to know their backgrounds; where they come from, what it is like
at their home, what peaks their interest, what their fears are, and what excites
them. I believe that teachers need to form a partnership with the student, the
family, the administration, and the community in order to ensure the success of
the student. Only through knowing my students and those who affect their lives
can I be an effective teacher.
Learning occurs through meaningful life experiences, which cannot always be
found on the pages of text books; the learning process should form to each
distinct child, instead of each child forming to the learning process; this making
learning an overall enjoyable experience for everyone, not a chore. I believe that
education is the foundation for success in life, and that I must show love for
education to inspire my students to love learning too.
The most important thing I need to remember is that I do not know everything.
Each of my students will challenge my knowledge about places I’ve never been,
things I’ve never heard of, and questions I never considered, but just how I teach
them, they will teach me, an ongoing exchange of knowledge.
When asked, “What do you teach?” I will respond, “Children,” because I believe
education is the most rewarding and influential career choice a person could ever
choose to pursue. It takes a special person, who believes whole heartedly, that
every child can learn with the right opportunities and support. I tend to provide
an opening to opportunities and the support needed for each of my students to
achieve success.