Estefania Caro

EDU 201- 2002

March 15, 2018

Education Philosophy

I chose teaching as my profession because as a teacher you can make a significant

contribution to the world and have a great experience of helping children learn and grow. I was

influenced by some of the greatest teachers I had throughout my school years. When I had a

teacher that motivated and inspired their students I would always dream of becoming like them

someday. Even when I had a pretty bad teacher who couldn’t handle their own students, I

always thought of ways of how I could improve the class and learning environment if I were in

their position. I have noticed that teachers don’t always get good straight A students. There’s

always a mix of good, smart, quiet, hyper, and trouble-making students and it’s up to the

teachers to lay down the rules and make sure they behave so they can all learn. The teaching

profession is not easy. It has its negatives and positives, but I want to pursue this career for the

children. I want to motivate and inspire these children just like how teachers inspired me in the

past.

My beliefs about education are more student and child-centered. Education should

focus on the needs and interests of students. The progressive philosophy contains that

knowledge that is true in the present may not be true in the future, and students’ interests and

personal growth are important. The best way to prepare students for an unknown future is by

teaching them problem-solving strategies and having them working in groups rather than
individually. I also believe that students learn best when they are interested in the subject.

Children at the elementary level shouldn’t have all the freedom in the classroom, but there are

certain subjects that can be tied to their interests. For example, in reading students should be

able to choose the kind of books they want to read. Some like to read about sports, others may

be interested in animals, others like fiction books, or even nonfiction. In math a child can get

bored and frustrated trying to solve math problems on a piece of paper. If I have my students

working on math using physical objects I believe they could learn a lot faster; even if it’s

learning on a computer. Playing math games on educational websites can be really beneficial.

Now that teachers have to integrate technology into the classroom, it will have a great impact

on students learning based on their interests.

I will teach my future students to the best of my ability. It is important that they all learn

and I get them all on track and ready for the next school year. I will help those who are falling

behind such as giving them material tied around their best interests. I also won’t be scared to

use extra resources. I know students come from all different types of backgrounds, cultures,

and maybe even a few speak a different language. Growing up as an ELL elementary student, I

know how hard and difficult school was when I couldn’t communicate with my teacher or

complete my assignments because I didn’t understand. The best way I learned English was

when I was partnered up with a student who was bilingual. He was able to translate what we

had to do on an assignment and how to pronounce words when we had to read. As the year

went on, I started picking up the English language really fast. As a child learning new languages

is easy, you just need the right help and guidance. I can help my future Spanish-speaking

students if they have a question and I can also partner them up with someone that is bilingual.
If a student speaks a different language other than Spanish then I will get the help and

resources the school offers. Giving my students assessments are good way to see where they all

are and how well they know the material. If most of them don’t do well, it will let me know that

I have to change my teaching strategies to help them understand.

The knowledge I need to be able to teach these students the material is much more

important than just knowing the subject. Someone can be an expert in math and know how to

solve every math problem they encounter. Teaching those skills on how to solve a problem to a

child is very difficult. Not everyone has the patience in order to do that and I believe patience is

a big quality I must have in order to be a teacher, especially when working with little kids. I have

to have the ability to make my students understand and comprehend the subject being taught

and I will challenge them so they can think of multiple problem-solving strategies. I will have to

first finish my Associates degree in elementary education at CSN. I will become a substitute

teacher to start working with kids, and I will also observe several classrooms and see the

different strategies teachers use to get the material across to their students. My educational

career will continue at UNLV so I can become a fourth-grade teacher and have my own

classroom full of bright students.