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Breanna Sandoval

Professor Connie Christensen

EDU 202

Spring 2021

Educational Philosophy

Profession: Why am I choosing this profession? Because knowledge is power and the more you

know, the more places you will go. Rewinding time 10 year ago, if someone were to have asked

me if I wanted to be a teacher, I would have quickly responded NO! I did not have the

appreciation for education like I do now. As an older adult with the responsibility of raising a

child, my perspectives about life have changed considerably, especially in regards to education.

So, I would say I was inspired into choosing this profession through my life experiences and

goals. My reason for wanting to become an educator is to be the teacher I wish I had when I was

in school. A teacher that is relatable, actually cares about the students’ well-being and is not just

there for a pay check, and is not so monotone while giving instruction. During my time in

secondary education, I felt my teachers lacked such qualities, nothing is worse than having a

teacher that lacks personality, that can bore a student right to sleep. That is how school was for

me, boring and my teacher was nothing more than a babysitter. I felt my teachers did the bare

minimum, I firmly believe that if I had different teachers, I would have taken my education more

seriously earlier on in life. It was the early 2000s when I was in secondary school, those were

different times, I have seen much progression and change in educators and education in this day

and age. My biggest skill set is my relatability, personal experiences, and the drive that I have to
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make an impact on every student, whether in the classroom or in life. During my observations, I

have found that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the classroom setting has made serious changes.

No longer will you find a classroom filled with 30+ students and not every day will there be

students on campus. At Dell Robison MS, a typical school week will have certain students on

campus which is usually determined by grade level and/or subject, while other students remain at

home and attend school virtually through Google Meet. Completing my observations virtually

has allowed me to gain experience and have a full understanding of how a classroom operates

today, such as using Google Classroom and Google Meet to attend class and platforms such as

Achieve and Nearpod to give instruction and for students to complete assignments.

Teaching: My educational philosophy is currently shaping itself because I am still so early on in

the process of entering the teaching profession. I believe I still have a lot to experience and learn,

but when I finally do become a teacher, something tells me that I will be teaching in a very

diverse classroom with a different breed of student, because of the changes that Covid-19 has

made in the world. They will be so technically advanced and aware of real-world situations due

to the amount of access they have to technology, social media, and other ways to find

information, especially secondary aged students. When thinking about my educational

philosophy I keep that in mind, as well as my strengths, and what I feel will attract the students’

curiosity. I feel a more hands on approach to learning such as working in small groups, giving

presentations, conducting experiments and documenting research helps retain information by

having the student be a part of the lesson rather than just be told the lesson. A progressivist

classroom weather virtually or in person is my educational philosophy and what I believe will be

an effective method for my future students.

Instruction: There are many styles of teaching that can be implemented into the classroom, but
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finding the right one for my classroom is important. Not all class periods will share the same

culture or personality, and surely not all students will have the same leaning style. Understanding

that not all students have the same learning style is key when creating assignments, giving

instruction, and making assessments. I do not just want to focus on one type of teaching strategy

in my classrooms, I want to be sure I reach all my student’s needs. So, in my classroom I will

implement differentiated instruction that focuses on needs rather than content, problem-based

learning to give the students the opportunity to be hands on and interact with their peers, and

direct teaching of course to emphasize the important of certain lessons with daily review and

guided practice.

Future: I believe I already possess many qualities that defines what makes a good teacher, for

example I am a mother, and as a mother you become every mindful about the many things that

are happening around you, while still being able to focus on a current situation or task. In other

words, I am a very good multi tasker, a quick thinker, firm, caring, and I have “eyes behind my

back”, just because I’m not looking directly at you, does not mean that I cannot see you. A

secondary classroom can get chaotic at times and it is important to never lose control of the class.

I care about making an impact on students that goes beyond the classroom. Yes, the classroom is

a place for specific subject learning but I believe life lessons are also met in a school setting and

teachers play a big role in those lessons. One quality to need to possess in order to move forward

in becoming a teach is to become more tech savvy. Today’s classroom is not the conventional

classroom anymore and nothing like how instruction was taught when I was in secondary school.

Technology is the new norm and I need to get with the program fast, that would be by me

updating my technology and its software. I’m dead set on achieving my goal of becoming a

teacher, a science teacher to be specific. I am all set for gradation this Fall 2021, where I will
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receive my Associate’s degree in Secondary Education and be a step closer to my goal. I’m

scheduled to meet with a transfer advisor from UNLV next week so we can set me up properly

for a smooth transition into UNLV where I will receive my Bachelor’s degree in Secondary

Education. Thus, granting me my goal and allowing me to have the proper qualifications to

become a high school science teacher. During the process of earning my Bachelor’s degree, I

plan on getting a job with CCSD to help me get my foot in the door and gain experience working

for a school and district.