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Kaitlyn Piston

Philosophy of Teaching

Teaching is a profession to educate the youth on certain curriculums, ideas, and

lifestyles. As a teacher, I believe I am a coach figure. As a person I am an achiever, I set goals
for myself and complete said goals. My whole life, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I love
kids and pursued tutoring in elementary and middle school. However, my love for teaching
changed in high school. The passion grew tremendously. When I started working with special
needs students, that’s when I finally knew what I wanted to teach. I have many goals for when I
become a teacher.

When I design lessons, I focus on ways to make every student understand the topic at
hand. I reach all students because I have learned how to work with regular education students
and special education students. I know their differences and I understand how to approach each
type of student differently with the same topic.

Working with kids is important to me because they are the future. That is the most cliche
saying, but it’s true. Students might not be 100% of our population, but they are 100% of our
future. A teacher’s purpose is to impact student’s lives positively, to be a guide for learning, and
to teach students life lessons. Out of all my teachers, the best teachers that I have had are the
teachers who didn’t just stick to the curriculum all the time. The teachers who actually talk to
their classes about what’s going on outside of the classroom have impacted me the most.

With 13 years of being in school, I have experienced good and bad teachers. All of my
teachers have inspired me to teach by showing me the highs and lows of teaching. Good
teachers, overall, give me glimpses of how I want to teach. They have shown me how to treat all
students. They have shown me ways to keep class interesting. Lastly, they have taught me that
being a good teacher is more than just teaching the curriculum. They have shown me what to
do and what not to do. When I first think of a lesson, I think of the usual- my teachers lecturing
around a powerpoint. I will never do that. As I said earlier, teachers show me what not to do and
I have taken great notes to NOT lecture around a powerpoint. I want to be a unique teacher.

When I am teaching, I am happy. Helping people has always been a passion of mine
and to have that as a profession would be a dream. Going into teaching, I plan to be organized.
I want my space to be clean and comfortable for everyone. My classroom will be colorful,
however it will not look like the inside of a Crayon box. The way a classroom is conducted truly
affects the focus of students. I will not discipline my students negatively if there is an opportunity
to impact them and help them learn from the situation.
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Kaitlyn Piston

Philosophy of Teaching

As a teacher, creating lessons is a given. As I said earlier, I hate powerpoint lectures.

Lesson ideas aren’t always popping up in my head, but whenever I take part or view a lesson
that I do not like, alternative lessons are scattering through my mind. Although lesson ideas
aren’t always in my head, my best teachers have shown me ways to be creative when teaching.
I am inspired by them by the way they teach certain objectives. I want my students to remember
me in a positive way.

My teaching philosophy is being a coach figure. My job is to guide students when it

comes to learning. A good coach-like teacher should encourage students and praise students,
even if they fail. Just like a coach of a sport, you want to impact the student’s passion. Every
coach that I’ve had for volleyball who has yelled at me or neglected me has made me want to
quit volleyball at times. However, my coaches who recognize me trying and encourage me
throughout my practices and games are the reason I still have a passion for the game. Just like
coaching a sports team, teaching should influence a passion. I want to be a teacher who
coaches students through the best years of their lives.