My philosophy of education may seem similar to other philosophies that people have, however

with all the pieces, it defines what I believe to be true about my role as an educator as well as a caring
adult. I believe that these should both be intertwined with each other. An educator should love what
they do, otherwise they will put forth less effort in what they do.

First and foremost, I want to be able to see the lightbulbs go off when students understand a
concept. When this happens, it brings joy to me and maybe some of the other students. Usually, this
allows the student to also help others in the classroom try to understand the concept because they get
so excited about understanding it. When this occurs, it allows me to celebrate the success of the student
with the student. When students do not understand the concept though, what should occur?

If students do not understand, then as a great teacher, I should continue looking for new ways to
teach the concept. I should not put that student down though. If a student is not getting it, then I should
still acknowledge them as a human and treat them in the same way that I treat the students who do
understand the concept. Having a professional, personal relationship with the students is important.
Students need to have someone who they know cares for them, not someone who will ignore them
because they lack understanding.

I also believe that a professional relationship with parents is necessary so that they know that I
care for their student both as a learner and as a person. When there is great parent-teacher
communication, everyone knows what is going on in both environments. It allows for responsibility to be
placed on the student in both settings, as well as some compassion from the teacher for the student
when hardship arises. If some terrible, large event (fire, just lost a close loved one) occurs and the
teacher does not know about it, the student may be reprimanded more because they are not focused. A
good relationship also allows the teacher to tell parents both good things and bad things that occur in
the school environment.

Finally, creativity and multimodal teaching are both important. Students should be able to
receive information they need in many ways. Not all students will learn in the same way. A visual may be
best for one student while a hands-on activity would be necessary for another. Giving students the
opportunity for a student-chosen project allows for both of these things to happen. It may be difficult to
do it all the time, but student choice is key in their education. If a student states that they are not ready
for something, you can give them a choice of turning it in or doing it immediately or giving them some
extra time to get it done, reducing the grade if appropriate.

In conclusion, students should be able to trust the classroom teacher. Students should be able to
see their own progress and be told that they did a great job when appropriate. Parent-teacher
communication is important so that everyone knows what is going on in both environments. Finally,
multimodal teaching, as well as creativity, are both important for students to understand concepts being
taught.