Shelly Foster

Philosophy of Teaching

My inspiration to go into the field of teaching comes from a family of educators. My grandfather,
my mother, my aunt, and my cousins have shown me the great rewards of working with children.
My grandfather, who was a teacher, a coach, and behind the wheel instructor influenced my
decision to become a teacher. I loved hearing all of the amazing things he did as a teacher and
how he inspired so many students. I have also been influenced by many of my own teachers.
They have modeled how to be there for their students and this is something that I would like to
emulate in my own classroom.

Providing equal opportunities for all of the students in my classroom is very important. I feel that
my teaching style needs to be unique by offering a variety of assessment choices for each
student. Meeting the needs of every individual student in the classroom is what is most important
to me. By offering hands-on activities, projects, and a variety of reports I can help the students
become successful. I will ensure that students can choose how they would like to be assessed on
a certain unit or activity and this will allow them to shine in their own special way.

Preparing the students for the future is an important goal of mine. I want them to realize how
they will benefit from active learning in the classroom. As the teacher, I will be there to guide
and advise them on the path to their greatest success. Having the position to be able to do that is
what I love so much about the teaching profession.

Offering an atmosphere where students feel safe to express themselves is very important to me.
The students need to have a place where they can speak freely without judgment and to accept
themselves. I want my classroom to be a space where they feel comfortable to share and students
learn to accept the differences in others. Teaching them that it is okay for everyone to have
differences and not be like everyone else. By offering this type of classroom, I hope to encourage
positive mental health in my students.

As an effective teacher and mentor, I hope to nurture my students to be themselves while

learning in a safe environment. I want them to achieve as much as they can while being kind to
their classmates. I plan to guide them to their fullest potential.