Philosophy of Education

Jet Tran 3B

Classroom Environment

In a world full of anxiety prone kids, I want my classroom to evoke a sense of peace and
happiness. I know I would want my teacher’s classroom to be inviting and a comfortable place
to learn, so why wouldn’t I mirror my classroom to be like that? My classroom will definitely be a
safe space for my students. The fundamental way to create a safe space for anyone is to first
start with the relationship and connection itself. Therefore, as a teacher, I would make it my
priority to make lasting one-on-one connections with each and every student I have. In addition,
I will incorporate fun and relevant decorations that the students can relate to, in order break that
initial wall between the student-teacher relationship. I will most definitely encourage students to
share things with me and the class to facilitate a beneficial family environment. Starting with the
first day, I will give the students the choice of what type of get-to-know-you activity they want to
do, because as we all know, students don’t like icebreakers as it is. So, it's important, for me as
a teacher, to give the students a choice in order to make them more comfortable with getting to
know everyone. In addition, every Monday, excluding Mondays where we have a test, I will have
a thing called “Moody Mondays” where the students can vent in an engaging conversation about
their busy schedules or anything that is causing them stress or anxiety. This is a great way to
release all of the bad energy at the beginning of the week, in a way for the students to relate to
each other and realize that they are not in it alone.

Ideal Classroom

I am not a big fan or “flexible seating,” such as couches and beanbags. The reason for
this is because it distracts the students from the main point of school, which is to learn. In
addition, it is hard to write and type when you don’t have a desk, so I definitely will have desks
and chairs like a standard classroom. But, I will have the desks in a circle, in order to have
everyone either sitting next to each other or facing each other. This will allow the students and
myself to know eachother better and have meaningful conversations about whatever we are
discussing that day. In addition, as I said before, I will have “cool” and relevant decorations that
will create a welcoming environment for the students, such as LED lights. I am not going to be
too strict on the materials needed for my class, because every student has a different way of
handling school. I would advise them to have at least a notebook, pencil, and highlighter for my
class necessities though, just to help them have a smooth and successful year.

Student/Teacher Relationship

I think having a positive relationship with my students would really help me and my
students learn and teach together. I envision my class to be very discussion-based learning,
which involves a lot of student interaction and participation. It will really help if the students feel
comfortable talking in class, and that all starts with a good student-teacher relationship. I really
want my students to feel comfortable talking to me about things, not just related to school but
about life in general. I want them to be able to confide in me if they need help. I think there is a
student-teacher relationship boundary, but that does not mean that I can’t have a personal
relationship with my students. I am really bad with names, but I think just being an active
teacher who can help and talk to my students will allow me to get to know them beyond the
surface level. At the beginning of the year I will begin to piece together their likes, dislikes,
passions, etc with their name, in order to get to know them faster and better. Lastly, I am aware
that students have many other classes to worry about, so I would try my absolute hardest to
carve out some time to let the students do whatever they need to do to lighten their load.

Motivating Students

I definitely understand the feeling of not being motivated to do anything in class, whether
it's because of life issues, an overload of work, being tired, or just because you don’t feel like
doing anything that day. I know, for me at least, that music really helps stimulate brain activity.
So, I would let them put their airpods or headphones in, in order to help motivate them to do
something. Also, my energy as a person is very loud and energetic, so I would use that to my
advantage to try to get them excited to work. In addition, comedy is a great way to encourage
someone, so I would try to incorporate humor in my assignments and presentations, so that the
students are less likely to be bored and not motivated. I think activities are very important to
keep the students engaged, so one activity that I know I really enjoy is kahoot or quizlet live.
The reason why is because it is very interactive and brings out the student’s competitive nature,
because they want to win, which will then, in turn, help them learn. Also, a lot of students aren’t
motivated due to a lack of confidence in the material, so I will really take a deep dive into
everything, in order to really help them understand and be more confident in what they know.

Primary Goal

As a teacher, my main goal is to shape the future through each and every student. I
really want each and every kid I teach to become successful in their own way. In addition,
mental health is something I struggle with, so I also want my class to not be a source of that
mental issue, but rather a place where they can relieve some of their anxiety and depression for
a little bit and be truly engaged and happy with their fellow classmates and I. Obviously, as a
teacher it is in my job description to make sure the students know the content I am teaching
them, but my passion for teaching does not stem from the mere subject I will be teaching. It
stems from my love of working with children and seeing them take what I teach them and put it
towards their own lives. In conclusion, my goal is to be the best teacher I can possibly be
through building lifelong bonds, helping my students with anything they need from me and more,
and just being there for them no matter what.