Philosophy of Education

Carolina Angel Valenzuela

College of Southern Nevada

 I chose this profession so I can be a part of the help that shapes children's futures. I am a

very patient and very understanding person and I believe they will be good qualities for this

profession. Throughout my school-age years, I have experienced teachers whom I was able to

make a connection with, and I recall those feelings of encouragement and feeling seen. Those

memories helped inspire me to want to be that teacher for somebody. Having raised my own

children within the school helped give me some perspective on children's thoughts of what works

for them in the classroom and what doesn’t. I believe that having my own children has also

helped give me some personal knowledge about growing children’s etiquette, their behavior, and

their habits. A major skill that will serve me in the field is being organized. Being organized and

one step ahead is a great way to create a positive learning environment in any teacher's

classroom. My field observation hours helped me understand the teaching environment by

allowing me an inside look into the daily life of a teacher. It helped me get a glimpse of the

different interactions between students and the teacher.

The philosophical education belief that most fits my current view on education

would be Progressivism. I believe that to be effective teachers we must take the child's needs and

interests into consideration. Building positive relationships between teachers and students is very

important to me. I believe that students have a better chance of success if they feel heard and

valued by their teachers. Remaining positive and caring in the classroom helps students

reciprocate these behaviors. I also believe that critical thinking skills are crucial for students

because this will help them make sense of the world and make rational decisions in their lives. I

think a historical event that set the stage for how I think about schools and children was the Civil

Rights Act. In my opinion, everyone deserves to be treated as equals and I can imagine the

horrible feeling children must have felt only being allowed at a certain school because of the
color of their skin. This is something no child should ever have to experience at school again.

This is why I will always treat my students equally and fairly.

Some instructional strategies I will implement in my classroom would be problem-

solving, demonstration, and class discussions. Problem-solving strategies would include things

like asking questions when they don’t understand something, admitting when they don’t know

the answer, talking through multiple possible outcomes, and evaluating the possible solutions. I

will use demonstration in my classroom as a visual aid to help students get a better understanding

of the lessons or activities. I will either use PowerPoint or physically demonstrate to the class. I

believe that class discussions are a great way to help students who may need some extra help on

a subject because they might get a question answered that they were too shy to ask. It will also be

a great way to hear student’s feedback on what they are learning. I will approach student learning

by building trusting relationships with students so that they feel comfortable asking for help as

needed. With student diversity, I will work on promoting cultural awareness in the classroom and

practicing equality. I will approach assessments by trying to better myself and my teaching for

the benefit of increasing students learning and development.

Some characteristics and skills you need to continue in this career would be patience,

empathy, adaptability, and good speaking and listening skills. You need patience when students

are misbehaving so that you keep calm and handle the situation accordingly. Empathy is needed

because some students can be dealing with things outside of the classroom and it is important as

a teacher to be able to understand what they are feeling. Every year a teacher will get a different

group of students and every year the groups will be different, so it is important for the teacher to

be able to adapt to the good and the bad. Good speaking and listening skills are essential for a

career as a teacher because you need to be able to communicate respectfully with students even
when they aren’t on their best behavior. I am currently taking classes at CSN to receive my

associate degree in elementary education. Once completed I will be able to transfer to UNLV

where I will receive my bachelor’s degree in elementary education. After UNLV I will have to

take my Math, English, and Reading tests for my Nevada teaching license and then I will be able

to start my career as an elementary school teacher.