Teaching Philosophy

Teaching demands organization with Ilexibility and spontaneity, energy supplemented by

enthusiasm and patience, and dedication combined with creativity and persistence. Endless
qualities and traits combine to Iorm a Ilawless mold oI the perIect teacher. Teachers play many
roles, but their purpose remains consistent: making a diIIerence, whether big or small, in the
lives oI their students.
I want to inspire and ignite creativity in students, while deepening their thinking and
challenging their skills. By Iocusing on students as individuals, rather than one blended group, I
will attend to their personal strengths and weakness, skills, and personalities. By creating lesson
plans geared towards their interests, I can successIully gain their attention and rapport by
showing them my understanding oI their lives and interests.
While state and national standards control the speciIic content that ELA teachers must
implement in the classroom, teachers possess the ability to creatively adapt these standards into
activities that interest and engage their students. Creativity and student interaction are key tools
in a classroom environment. While I recognize the importance oI consistency and routine, I think
it`s also important to change plans unexpectedly. Students get bored with doing the same thing
every day. Re-energizing the room will help reIocus students on the task. Flexibility and
spontaneity are appreciated and needed in a classroom when lesson plans Iail to engage students.
Even more importantly, when teachers display their enthusiasm and positive attitude on a
daily basis, they model a demanding skill that suppresses outside negative energy Irom
permeating the classroom. Students need to know that the teacher is Iocusing on them and not an
outside conIlict. This quality builds rapport and respect between students and teachers. When
teachers bring their outside problems into the classroom, they invite a world oI problems that
cross a proIessional boundary. By sharing personal experiences with their students, teachers

show that they are human beings, but it`s important that these experiences Iail to divulge details
that aren`t pertinent or inappropriate to the students.
At the same time, teachers should be comIortable with who they are as a person. Students
have radar that instantly detect when a teacher is nervous, uncomIortable, or hesitant. By
dressing and acting conIidently, students will recognize that I am prepared and organized. From
the inside out teachers should reIlect proIessionalism and embody preparedness. These are
essential qualities Ior being a teaching.
Ironically, teaching requires qualities that repel each other, which makes it challenging to
embody these opposing traits. While teaching demands organization, it also needs Ilexibility and
spontaneity. Teaching requires positivity and assertiveness mixed with Iirmness and control.
Teachers have to teach, but they need to be students at times as well; they need to teach their
students as well as learn Irom them.
Modeling these characteristics displays my dedication to my teaching proIession. I Iail to
perceive my Iuture as a job, but rather a second liIe because I want to be a positive role model
Ior students, to inspire enthusiasm, and to interact with them as individuals and not see them as
machines. Every individual student is important; every opinion matters; each mind possesses the
opportunity to reach its potential. Teaching isn`t a job, but rather a perpetual journey oI
discovery and opportunity.