3.

1 : Philosophy of Education

2.3.14 - Develop a personal philosophy of education

My philosophy of education is grounded in the idea that I hope to inspire my students to

become motivated and compassionate leaders of society. Education is more than teaching to the

test. Education to me is helping students succeed not only as a student, but as an individual. This

can be done through the encouragement of learning from failures, meaningful teacher-student

relationships, and always taking advantage of the teachable moments.

As previously mentioned, I strongly believe in the value of strong relationships with

students. In “Every Kid Needs A Champion”, Rita Pierson states that “every child needs an adult

who never gives up on them, who understands the power of human connection and insists that

they become the best they could possibly be” (evidence 3.1.1). Once you have a more personal

relationship with a student, that is deeper than a typical teacher and a student relationship, you

could notice positive changes in behavior or attitude. Although it might be difficult, every

student deserves this kind of relationship with their teacher.

Another way I can improve as a teacher is by developing a strong sense of efficacy or

belief that they can impact student learning. According to my notes from Research Report’s

Teacher Efficacy : What Is It and Does It Matter? “if a teacher has a stronger sense of efficacy

and they are more willing and persistent to try new things, the student will learn better” (evidence

3.1.2). Having a sense of efficacy is important and as a teacher, I will be flexible and not become

discouraged when challenges arise in my classroom.

Educators can also turn to well known theories that can be used as teaching strategies.

One theory that I believe can be beneficial in the classroom is Howard Garder’s Multiple
Intelligence Theory. This theory states that there are many different ways that people learn best

and it states that all students have different learning needs. I believe it is essential to differentiate

your lesson plans because not all students are going to learn the same way so I will teach in

different ways to meet them at where they stand in their learning.

It is important to be cognisant of different teaching practices and figure out which ones

work best for the dynamic of your classroom. One newer method of teaching is “whole brain

teaching”. According to Cognia, whole brain teaching is “designed to maximize student

engagement and is focused on teaching how the brain learns best” (evidence 3.1.3). Whole brain

teaching can be used at any grade level and is designed to help teachers be creative and

differentiate. One example of this method is to actively accommodate or change the environment

of your classroom. I would incorporate calm lighting or comfortable chairs in my room for any

hyperactive students. Or you could have students sit on their desk or on the carpet when doing a

class discussion. This also appeals to the kinesthetic learners where movement helps them learn

best. Another example of whole brain teaching is implementing student reflection and discussion

within a lesson. The teacher could present a brief lesson and then students would turn to a partner

and mimic or summarize what they just heard. The teacher could say switch at any point and the

other partner would have to pick up where the student left off and complete the exercise. This

activity is designed to make sure students are engaged throughout the lesson and it gives them

the opportunity to learn and understand the content by seeing if they can explain it themselves. I

believe these are two excellent teaching strategies that I plan on using in my classroom. They

help meet the learning needs of different students and ensure student engagement.

Lastly, I want to be a teacher because I find great joy in helping others. I believe in the

value of a strong education and I want to inspire children to believe in themselves as much I
would believe in them. My goal as a teacher is to maximize student learning opportunities and

build meaningful relationships with students. I am so fortunate to have had amazing teachers in

my life who had a positive impact on me. I hope to be the kind of role model they were for me as

a future teacher.