College of Southern Nevada

Philosophy of Education

Nina Burke
EDU 201
Susan Bridges
April 5th, 2020
 Philosophy of Education

I believe that education should involve students exercising all forms of intelligence and

developing their own pathway to success in life. It is the responsibility of a teacher to emphasize

students’ strengths and encourage problem solving. I feel that the classroom should be a place

where students learn about the world, not only their school, city, or country. I also feel that it is

my responsibility to create a safe space for students to grow and flourish by giving them the

individual support they need.

I have decided to dedicate my life to teaching not only because of the teachers that have inspired

me, but because I value knowledge and want to share it with the next generation of students.

Through both substitute teaching and field observations, I have developed an understanding of

what elements are important to have in a classroom and noticed that not every successful teacher

operates the same way. I feel that through my experience I have developed the ability to adapt to

the varying needs of a diverse student body.

I see parts of all the major teaching philosophies that can be beneficial, but I would describe my

personal philosophy to primarily fit into progressivism and existentialism. I believe in a

progressive classroom because knowledge is constantly changing. Giving students the tools to

learn and solve problems, both individually and by working together, will help them become

successful in our fast-paced society. Existentialism also applies to my philosophy because I

strongly believe in the individual path. For much of our nation’s history, students who are of a
minority race, female, LGBTQIA+, have a disability, or come from a low-income family, have

had significantly less opportunity than their peers. These students face specific challenges both in

school and in society. I plan to teach in a way that considers the individual student, taking each

of their backgrounds and learning styles into consideration.

Approaching learning in a way that is accessible to all students and exercises all forms of

intelligence are two things that I feel are important for instruction. I plan to identify my students

strengths and weaknesses by trying different methods of instruction and finding what works best

for each of them. By doing this, I can also more accurately identify which students may need

accommodations. I don’t want my classroom to be a place where we learn only by reading,

writing, and repeating, I want it to also be a place where we sing and dance, make art, and get

our hands dirty.

I plan to continue working with students while working toward my bachelor’s degree so that I

can keep gaining valuable experience teaching as I learn. One major goal that I have as an

educator is to become bilingual. Through both an upbringing alongside English-language

learners (ELLs) and the direct work I have done with them, I have found that a bilingual

education is key for their success. I plan to continue learning about strategies that help ELLs,

such as teaching through comics, as well as developing my own Spanish-language skills through

education and practice.