Christian Nussbaum

Educational Philosophy

My educational philosophy is grounded in the relationships built between teachers and

students. I believe that teachers have an excellent opportunity to help students gain knowledge

and skills that form them as an individual and as a community contributor. Within this

opportunity, teachers have the responsibility to assist students on their journey to gain and

sharpen their skills, helping them reach their maximum potential. It is the duty of the teacher to

adapt to the students, rather than forcing the students to adapt to the teacher. To maximize

responsiveness and rapport, the teacher must form a bond with their students based in trust

and respect. These bonds formed are both the most important and most enjoyable aspect to

teaching. The teacher is blessed with an opportunity to help their students succeed, and the

deeper the bond the higher the potential for that to happen. When teachers get to know their

students as people, students will be more engaged and willing to learn. The more the teacher

understands about their student’s lives, the higher their ability will be to adapt their teaching

style in a way that will maximize individual students’ success.

Too often uncooperative students are dismissed. Instinctually, educators may result to

discipline for uncooperative students. Sometimes, teachers may simply ignore struggling

students and mark them off as lazy. This unfortunate reality is far from the formula of a proper

education. All students, teachers, and people come from diverse backgrounds. It is easy for an

educator to resort to a teaching style that would be effective for themselves, but this does not

encompass all teachers. Getting to know students does allow educators to adapt their teaching

style in the classroom, but it also allows for teachers to understand why a student behaves a
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way they do. Some topics, especially in history, students may feel a personal connection

towards. Slavery, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement are all examples of topics Black

students may, but not always feel sensitive about, and it would be folly for a teacher to not take

notice. Other topics students may feel no personal connection towards and disengage all

together. It is the teacher’s job to notice either of these scenarios and adapt. Without personal

connections, teachers do not know the daily struggles that students may be exposed to. Conflict

in the outside world is impossible to leave at the doorway into the classroom. There is always a

good reason why students are struggling. Behavioral and academic needs rarely boil down to

issues that are the students’ fault, and attentive educator will know this. In response, a good

educator will go the extra mile and be flexible with their class and be responsive to the

individual student. If the teacher takes advantage of their opportunity to build relationships

with their students, they can show said student a path to success that best fits their needs.

I earned my undergrad in history, and I am passionate about the subject. History

sharpens a plethora of academic skills that can be put to good use by students. I love my

content. However, I believe history it teaches both academic and life skills to students.

Students can learn empathy and gain perspective on the world around them every time they

step foot in my classroom. They learn not just how to be better students, but how to be better

people as well. Therefore, I believe I do not teach history; I teach students. Being engulfed in

the content aspect of the job above the students, the class would not get the teacher they

deserve. I would be pressing content that I found vital onto minds that truly could not care less.

This relates to a point I have previously made; educators are not tasked to force content onto
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their students but adapt their teaching styles to the student’s needs in order to maximize their

comprehension.

The ability to adapt and be flexible to the students needs is vital to education. What this

does is it puts the students’ needs first, above all other variables that make up teaching. It is my

belief that this is the educator’s main objective. Students go home everyday and face their own

personal challenges that take priority over education. Family issues, working a job, and mental

health are a few examples of things on students plate they have no choice but to deal with in

addition to school. The teacher cannot obsess with the students ability to operate by the

teachers standards. Teaching is a wonderful profession that provides the opportunity for adults

to create positive relationships with their students, helping them through their adolescence,

work towards success, and leave a lasting impact on future generations. Teachers are blessed

with this opportunity and need to take advantage of it every chance they get.