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Through the classes I have taken at UAS, combined with my life experience and my

experience in the classroom, I have developed a personal teaching philosophy that I have begun

to implement into my classrooms. My philosophy has started to evolve and change with the

growth of my knowledge and with increased years of experience. I began studying education

four years ago in 2015 and I wrote this philosophy of education shortly after beginning my

studies. This philosophy provides an accurate representation of my beliefs, however my beliefs

have evolved into so much more.

It is very important for me to create a safe, nurturing, and positive environment where all

students are treated equal. Providing this type of environment will give students a solid

foundation allowing them to flourish and become lifelong learners. Creating this type of

environment requires teachers to be effective. According to Harry and Rosemary Wong,

effective teachers must be proficient in three characteristics of an effective teacher. Wong states

that, “An effective teacher….1. has positive expectations for student success. 2. Is an extremely

good classroom manager. 3. Knows how to design lessons for student mastery” (Harry & Mary

Wong, 1998, p. 9). I believe strongly that teachers need to set high and clear expectations for

their students, have minimal wasted classroom time, confusion, and disruption, and also create a

work oriented but very relaxed and positive environment for their students.

Every child is capable of learning. Each student has different needs, which are influenced

by many factors including physical challenges, family circumstances, and social and cultural

background. My goal is to make sure that my students’ basic needs have been met according to

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and to provide them with the encouragement and motivation to

help them succeed in school and become contributing members of society. Teachers deal with

students’ deprivation needs including: psychological, safety, love and belonging, and self-
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esteem. “Any efforts that you can make to contribute to these needs will greatly improve a

learner’s ability to learn and achieve in your learning environment” (Burleson, S. & Thoron, A.,

2014).

To meet each student’s needs, I must get to know my students well, teach wide-ranging

lessons, and be able to effectively differentiate instruction. Being aware of my students’ zone of

proximal development, as introduced by Vygotsky, will help me to understand and effectively

guide students learning process without unnecessary pressure. The zone of proximal

development (ZPD) has been defined as “the distance between actual developmental level as

determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential as determined through

problem-solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers” (Vygotsky,

1978, p. 86). To encourage students to move through their ZPD I will provide scaffolding by

myself or a peer, allow for social interactions that allow students to observe and/or practice their

skills, and provide collaborative interactions with students at higher learning levels. I must be

aware of where each student is developmentally and create instructional strategies that will

challenge and encourage students to grow individually.

I believe that teachers must have a growth mindset believing that it is my role to do what is

necessary to be a facilitator for students’ success including encouraging student effort which is

necessary for success. Differentiating instruction gives students the best chance at learning,

regardless of their abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Sousa and Tomlinson (2011) found that

differentiation “calls on teachers to be consistently mindful of three things: (1) how their content

is structured for meaning and authenticity, (2) who their students’ are as individuals, and (3)

which elements in their classrooms give them degrees of freedom in connecting content and

learners” (Sousa & Tomlinson, 2011, pg. 15). As a second year classroom teacher, I am learning
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that there is an art to effectively differentiating instruction. I am excited to continue my

education and find new and effective techniques to successfully improve differentiation.
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References

Burleson, S., Thoron, A. (2014 April). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Its Relation to

Learning and Achievement. Department of Agricultural Education and

Communication, UF/IFAS Extension. Retrieved from:

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/WC/WC15900.pdf

Sousa, D., Tomlinson, C. (2011). Differentiation and the brain. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree

Press.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society: The development of higher psychological processes.

Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wong, H.K., Wong, R.T. (1998). The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher.

Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.