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Briana Torres-Chavez

EDU 201-2002

Professor Christensen

November 13, 2018

Educational Philosophy

Pursuing the chance to educate the future of Nevada has been my dream for years. Since I

can remember, there has been no profession other than being a teacher that has crossed my mind.

Every school year has impacted me differently, but in the end it all comes down to the same

positive outcome, wanting to become a teacher.

In third-grade year I transferred to a new school, Ruben P. Diaz Elementary School. I was

devastated to start somewhere new, who knew this transition would have such a positive impact

on my life. This is where I met my third-grade teacher, Mrs.Martinezjunco. I remember not

liking her the first few weeks of school, I thought, how can a person be this serious and strict? As

weeks went by, she turned out to be my favorite teacher. She was fun and creative with her

activities, which made learning much easier. I now realize why she was so strict. She had to gain

our respect, she had to be taken seriously. In order to play and have fun with us, she had to teach

us that not everything was fun and games. In a classroom there were going to be times to be

serious and times to play and have fun. She is only one of the multiple reasons why I want to be

a teacher, more specifically, the reason why I want to be a third-grade teacher.

Throughout my school years, I’ve observed and critiqued all the teachers I have had. I

noticed the positive and negative qualities of each teacher. I’ve witness teachers that have
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reshaped students positively, and also been a victim of teachers who have no compassion for

their students. The reason I want to become a teacher is so that I can make a positive impact in

the lives of my students. I want to be able to help them achieve their goals. I want to assist them

in being successful. I want my classroom to be a second home, where they can feel safe and

forget about the outside world. I know every student has potential to achieve their goals, and I

want to be the teacher that helps them see that. I want to be the teacher that will let them know

how some will struggle more than others, and assure them that they can cross the finish line at

their own pace.

My philosophical orientation to teaching is progressivism, based on the belief that

education should be child-centered. This means that the whole child is taken into account, as

well as his/her interest. Teachers with a progressive ideology believe the best way to prepare

students is by equipping them with problem-solving strategies, that will help them gain

significant knowledge at distinctive stages of their lives. Although, students are given

considerable freedom to determine their educational experiences, it doesn’t mean students are

freed to do whatever they wish. Teachers provide structure for their students. They help students

learn what is important to them and provide experiences that mimic everyday life as much as

possible.

Progressive orientation teachers as I mentioned before, are strong believers of

child-centered education. Growing up, teacher-centered teachers have been my worst

experiences. Their teaching style of mainly lecture focused on subjects more than on students

understanding. I always thought, what about us? When will we get the chance to practice our

skills and what we’ve learned? When will we work cooperatively in groups? I believe that due to
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my poor teacher-centered experiences, I fit this philosophy best. I know what it’s like to be one

of their students and as a teacher, I wouldn’t want my students to feel the same way. I want to

create a friendly relationship with my students. I want to keep their curiosity alive and help them

not try to force them to learn. That’s why as a teacher, with progressive orientation, I will make

sure to capitalize on their individual interests so they can see learning as something fun and

enjoyable, while gaining knowledge.

The instructional strategies I would implement would be cooperative learning, Field

Trips, and PBL (Project Based Learning). One of the most successful strategies would be

cooperative learning. This strategy gives the students the chance to work in small groups, while

not only learning what is being taught, but by also helping their teammates learn. This

instructional strategy also generates individual responsibility. Another crucial instructional

strategy would be field trips. Most people view field trips as a non-educational adventure, when

in reality it’s a valuable learning experience. Through field trips, students are given the chance to

experience real-world learning while having fun, which makes learning more interesting. Finally,

Project Based Learning would be another instructional strategy I would implement in my

classroom. This strategy helps students gain knowledge as well as skills by working on solving a

real-world problem over an extended period of time. It helps to prepare them for academic or

personal success.

Every student learns differently and it is essential that as teachers, we know how to

incorporate all the different teaching styles, so that no student is left behind. I will approach

student learning by paying attention to each student and analyze how they learn. Depending on

their learning styles, I will reshape my lesson plan and implement their learning styles into it. I
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will approach student diversity by using culturally responsive teaching. By using this pedagogy,

I will recognize not only the differences between students but also the unique strengths each

have. This will encourage the students engagement in learning, because every student will feel

like they belong.

The characteristics necessary for this career are patience and a caring personality. I will

continue being compassionate and sensitive to student differences. I will engage and motivate

students in learning. The skills I possess are mentoring, communication, and adaptability. I will

always set a good example for my students to follow. I will communicate effectively to my

students and their parents. I will always be a flexible and adaptable teacher. I will adapt my

lesson plans to the students’ needs.

In order to achieve my goals and the requirements for teacher licensure, I will start by

passing my ​Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers. ​Passing this test

means I have met the state's specific licensing requirements. After passing that test, I will move

on to getting my Bachelor’s Degree. While getting my Bachelor’s I will become a substitute

teacher, a few days a week, to get experience. After getting my Bachelors Degree, I would then

obtain a state certificate, which is required for teaching in public schools in Nevada. This state

certification will indicate my level content areas, I am qualified to teach.

In conclusion, these are the steps I will take in order to fulfill my childhood dream. I will

continue to learn from my experiences to better myself. I will continue working on my

characteristics and skills to become a great teacher. I will keep pushing myself in order to pursue

the chance of educating the future of Nevada.