I saw a quote recently that said, “If you can’t teach them, love them” and I think this

quote sums up my philosophy of education. I am receiving certification in both elementary and

special education, but I would love to teach in a younger grade learning support classroom or a
life skills classroom. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was little, and that dream has only
grown as I have been studying to become the best teacher I can be to my future students and the
next generation.
In my classroom, the role of myself, as the teacher, should be first and foremost to
instruct my students and teach them the required material. I think that it is critical for me as a
teacher to love and care for each of my students as my own children. I can be a positive role
model and treat my students with love. I want each of my students to look forward to coming to
school, where they know they will be not only be taught but also valued. I want my classroom to
be a safe and enjoyable place for students to come every day.
In my room, I want my students to be active learners, asking questions and wanting to
gain knowledge. They are in school to learn, so part of their role as students in my classroom is
to learn and grow in their knowledge. I think another role of students is to respect the teacher and
their classmates. In the elementary grades, students learn how to show respect to their peers and
adults, and I expect them to do that in my room. I would like my classroom to be a place where
each of my students feel safe, secure, and free to be themselves. This is not something that only I
as a teacher can accomplish, but I need each of my students to participate in this goal and treat
each of their peers with care and respect.
I think that students all learn in very different manners and so I should differentiate my
lessons. Some students are visual learners, others are auditory or kinesthetic learners. In my
opinion, it is important to use multiple types of teaching methods in order to help each of my
students. Furthermore, I believe it is important for students to not only learn from me, but also
teach each other. While teaching others, students not only increase their own knowledge in the
topic but can give the information to peers in a way that makes sense to them. Children also learn
better when they are learning about something that they have an interest in. Therefore, I want to
integrate their interests into my curriculum, taking a few minutes every single day to allow my
students to learn about whatever they are interested in. Every six weeks, this learning will turn
into a culminating project where the students will create something (an object, presentation, etc.)
to inform their peers about this topic that they enjoy. I would like to use centers to differentiate
for student’s ability level. Further, flexible seating would be an important part of my classroom
so students can move while they are focused on learning.
I think both formal and informal assessment is critical to ensuring success. However, I
think that formal assessment can take many different forms such as a formal test, project,
presentation, etc. I also think that informal assessment should be a daily aspect of teaching and
assessment. Informal assessment such as exit tickets or even KWL (Know, Want to Know, and
Learn) charts are easy ways to show me as the teacher whether the students are understanding the
lesson or not. However, I do think that assessment is critical to a successful classroom.
In conclusion, I am very excited for the opportunity I have to become a teacher and I
cannot wait to begin my own classroom, where I can cater to each of my student’s needs and
abilities in a way that helps them succeed.