Philosophy of Teaching

Breea Kirkpatrick

After surviving 12 years of schooling, along with continuing a higher education to earn a degree,
I think I can speak for most humans when saying that school is not always easy. In fact- school can be
quite difficult. Homework, testing, sports, social lives, extracurricular activities, and every other curve
ball life randomly decides to throw at a student. A balance is difficult. Whether it be a second grader or
eleventh grader, no one person seems be to be able to go through an entire year of school without a
few bumps in the road.

However, my goal is to teach students that although school is tough and at times very, VERY
draining, they can do it. I want my students to leave my classroom excited about their one-day transition
into the “real world”. And most importantly, I will instill in my students a sense of wanting more for the
world in which they will have at their fingertips. I want them to know that they can be the change we all
crave of seeing, if they just believe in themselves.

Growing up in a small town, I always felt that I was too open-minded for the area I lived in, too
at peace with the idea that everyone is uniquely different. I shared my thoughts by saying that I do not
see color or ethnicity or any of the surface-level attributes that lead to judgment and stereotyping at
first glance. But I began rethinking this. Our race, ethnicity, religion, these are details that define not
who we are, but the experiences we have been through. By not seeing these things, it would be as If the
experiences that mold who each person becomes is being erased or ignored. In my classroom, these
differences will be embraced. By including different types of literature pieces, genres, various authors of
all backgrounds, students will read different viewpoints of numerous subjects, issues, and
circumstances. My hopes are for students to learn empathy- the ability to place themselves in the shoes
of another human being.

I am also aware that these goals for my classroom will be gradual. To attain this hope for my
kids, patience will undeniably have to become a virtue and kindness will need to be tossed around like
confetti when speaking to and about each student I have. I have never believed that yelling or screaming
or constant condemnation would do the trick when a child acts out. I wish for my kids to want to believe
they can all be better humans and better their fellow earthlings, why would I discipline by embarrassing
them or making them feel low in any way? I believe in constant encouragement. Not all students will be
good one hundred percent of the time, I am not naïve enough to think otherwise. But I do believe that
most kids act out for deeper reasons, reasons that can resolved by civilized, sit-down conversations. If a
few of these talks do not create a change of heart, then I will provide initiatives in order to change the
behavior. If this still does not seem to work, then I will reach out to a higher educational professional in
my school. Discipline will be the hardest area for me as a teacher. I am a peacemaker, I consider myself
Switzerland. I have always struggled with dealing with tension or conflict accordingly, and so this is an
area that makes me nervous in taking the next steps in this profession.

Goals I have set for my classroom can only be reached by setting clear and concise methods for
my teaching. My lesson plans will consist of hands-on learning and I will incorporate (or try my best at
least) partner work, group projects, and whole-class discussions. I believe that two brains, or twenty
brains, is always better than a lonesome brain. In the “real world”, people are forced to work with all
types of humans, some with different beliefs, religions, races, backgrounds, etc. I want to prepare my
students in a way that when they one day get a job and must work with diverse people, they will not feel
frazzled and unprepared but instead excited to hear others opinion and come to some form of
consensus on whatever the topic or issue is at hand.

Learning with others will also lead to a better understanding and digestion of whatever it is
being discussed for each week during class. I do not believe that tests are the only solutions to see
growth in a student. I believe tests are the worst activity to resort to in order to see improvement. I’ll
never forget the amount of preparation that went in to standardized testing. And today, that is all that
the education system seems to use to measure a child’s ability to do anything. Every night before taking
the “K-Prep Test” in elementary school, I would stay up making myself sick to my stomach because the
pressures of this test were too much in my poor nine-year-old body. The sickness before tests didn’t
stop there. Whether is be a simple chapter test for my science class in seventh grade or the ACT junior
year, I couldn’t help but be in a constant state of anxiety when leading up to these test days. This is a
feeling I refuse to ever be the reason for causing in my students. Group projects, small take-home
assignments, short answer responses that can be observed and talked about in class are all ways in
which I am able to evaluate growth in my students. This way my students will still be held responsible
for doing their work, without making themselves sick just thinking about it.