RUNNING HEAD: ALYSSA COOK PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION 1

Philosophy of Education

Alyssa C. Cook

Northern Michigan University

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Why I Want to Teach

Teaching is fostering students’ knowledge in subject material in the best way for each

individual student. I have wanted to be a teacher for a shorter time than many, but I have always

enjoyed math and science courses in high school and college.

I began tutoring students in math and loved the process. The best part of tutoring students

was when a student found the link between the concepts and the material. With one particular

student I was tutoring, I was able to help him pass his math class during summer school. I was

his neighbor, so every day I would walk over to his house through the swampy grass in the dip of

ground between my yard and his. We would work on math problems together, with me asking

him what we should do first, then providing hints if he became unsure of what to do. We grew up

together, so I think this helped him be open to learning with and from me. I was able to teach

him both Algebra One and Algebra Two, helping him absorb the concepts. Some concepts he

was able to memorize and remember some steps on his own. He then began to pass his math

class in school the next year. I was so excited that he was learning something from me!

The reason I want to teach is to help students who struggle, so they will be better

prepared for future courses. I have a passion for science and would love to share the knowledge I

have learned over the years, while giving connections to real life problems. I will encourage

curiosity in the classroom by taking my students on field trips to examine anything that interests

them that will also fit into the curriculum.

I grew up in a small town with a school creative enough to keep the arts and science

strong with a limited budget. I was enriched with an early math program run through Michigan

State University and was provided the opportunity of joining an early college program for free.
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My high school jump-started me into a career of science. I began as a shy student who was

introverted to the point where I would barely participate in discussions. I have blossomed over

the years, becoming bolder, while still remaining introverted. I would love to show my students

that you can be more introverted, but still need to interact with others through communication of

your ideas. I find being introverted a strong factor for me, because I will be able to show students

that it is okay to be yourself, and you do not need to be extroverted to become successful.

When I was a senior in high school, my mother asked me to help her with the backpack

program. The backpack program provides food for students to take home over the weekend, so

they will have access to food. This program is given to students who receive free lunches, and I

had not realized the amount of students who required these services. I was not allowed to see

which lockers the food ended up inside of and did not want to know. Having knowledge that so

many students are facing adversity in their home lives, I want to make school a safe and happy

place for students. I want to enrich my students’ minds so they will have a better chance at being

successful. Realizing how little racial and ethnic diversity my town has makes me wonder if it

has anything to do with the school system. I feel we did not talk much about discrimination in

my history classes and it would be beneficial for students to actively discuss discrimination and

other racial and ethnic perspectives of history to enrich students’ understanding. I will be

incorporating ideas of inclusion into the classroom by creating a mantra of treating others with

respect and working together to create a welcoming classroom.

Who and What I want to Teach

I want to teach high school science or middle school science. I want to bring science alive

for students and incorporate as much outdoors time as possible. Science is fascinating because

science is intertwined in the fabric of our lives, giving us answers about the features and
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phenomena around us. I love math, since you are answering riddles and the discovery of the

answer is a rewarding feeling. I want my math experience to permeate the school, allowing the

space for students struggling with concepts to test the bounds of their capacity to learn. I want to

challenge the students, but make sure students have a handle on the material. I will use concepts

I have learned from my placement in Bothwell Middle School in the course ED 231.

I would love to be involved in a math intervention class or after school program. From

my teacher interview earlier this year, I found that my local school’s junior high has math

intervention where those who may struggle get the help they need. The teacher I spoke with

wants to make intervention available to students throughout the year as needed, instead of

keeping students in the class the whole year. Right now, the only students that are in math

intervention have to remain in intervention, even if they have mastered the topics that troubled

them. An after school program would be a great opportunity to stay up to date on the

The classes I have been enthralled by in my life has made me want to give that to

students. I want to present diverse materials to the students to allow them to find what suits them

the best. I remember learning biology in high school and complex steps were left out, since they

would be “too hard” for high school students. I would have enjoyed more information at a

younger age, to prod my inquisitive brain. I was exposed to anatomy in high school, geology and

botany in community college, and many other wonderful subjects. I have learned so much more

about life around myself and am so grateful for the knowledge I have absorbed.
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How I Want to Teach

As a teacher, I would prefer to stay away from bookwork, only going to it for definitions.

I prefer inquiry-based projects for the student to work on in groups. I found this works well,

because the students can communicate their ideas with one another. As I begin to teach science, I

want to provide very hands-on activities to peak the students’ interests. I want to do as many labs

as possible, to show students the different avenues into the science universe. The labs would be

focused on ideas to try and peak every student’s interest on topics like biology, ecology, geology,

and renewable energy. I would also love to have outdoor activities in the science classes, like

identifying bugs, birds, plants, and trees. I remember how much I loved doing these activities at

my community college, because it made me feel alive and one with nature. I want to give a

chance for this feeling to be a part of my students’ lives. For the math courses, I would love to

use as many different props as possible to give a visual aid to students, so they are able to

visualize expressions involving addition of fractions, subtraction of negative numbers, and other

expressions.

During my teacher interview, I asked my teacher how she approaches behavioral

problems and how she works through them with students. She told me about a technique called

“restorative justice” where the teacher will ask “why” questions to hear the student’s side to the

behavior/conflict. Then she will process the behavior with the student and ask “what do you need

to do to make it right?” to teach responsibility of actions (Transcribed Interview). I want to teach

in this manner when behavioral issues come up. I want to hear why the student felt their behavior

happened and how they are able to fix the problem.

If a behavior arises from a racist comment, discrimination, or political standpoint of

another student, I would take the time to discuss the history of why certain phrases are not
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allowed and talk about being respectful to others. The respect to others would be to keep racist

and discriminatory comments to yourself and to understand that these words have a large impact

on the self-esteem of others. I would love to have my students open their minds to observe all

sides of the discussion to form an educated outlook on the topic.

Based on “Neurodiversity in the Classroom,” I want to show students with and without

exceptionalities that they all have different intelligences. I want to show the students their

strengths and give them the tools to find their strengths. Within this, I will provide a few

different ways to work on math or science problems and allow students to pair up to work

together. Students working together will help both students learn, while sharing how one

particular student works on a problem. I will make sure to do many examples before asking

students to show the class how they approached it.

In order to include students with exceptionalities, I would adapt the classroom to be

proper for whatever exceptionalities are present. Thomas Armstrong suggests ways to include

students with a variety of exceptionalities. If a student had sensory sensitivities, a way to adapt

the classroom is to reduce lighting and noises in the classroom (2012). This will provide a space

in which students can learn. One thing I noticed in high school is that many students preferred

only half of the lights on in classrooms, since the bright lights in the classroom can be too harsh

on student’s eyes. So adapting the classroom setting can potentially help all students. When I

was at Bothwell Middle School, I saw a classroom with lamps and strings of lights to light the

room. The lighting was softer and more welcoming than the overhead lights, so I want to use this

classroom modification to make my classroom feel homey and welcoming.

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Conclusion

My one goal is to help students find purpose for learning. Students should be more open

to learning if they understand there is a reason they are being taught certain math and science

topics. Giving students a welcoming, calm environment to learn with the addition of a purpose to

the lesson are key factors in their learning process, since they will be more open to learning. I

hope to be the person that inspires a student to want to learn.

References

Armstrong, T. (2012). Neurodiversity in the classroom: Strength-based strategies to help

students with special needs succeed in school and life. Virginia: ASCD.
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Cook, A. (2019). Transcribed Interview: Smith.