My personal philosophy of education evolved from my own life as a student, my role as a parent and my life as a professional. I have had some experiences in student life, with parenting and with teaching that have given me a strong viewpoint about what education should be. I am also aware that over time this philosophy will continue to change, as it has already changed over the years of substitute teaching. During my teaching career I have grown and learned many techniques and strategies that I do want to implement in my own classroom. I have also collected some ideas about what should not be done in a classroom of children. One focus has never changed and that is that education is extremely important and vital to the success of our society.

I firmly believe that children learn in many different ways and need a variety of teaching methods. My own experience as a student convinced me that I did not always learn information in the same way as some of my classmates and, as a result, was more successful with some teachers than others. Some students learn better by hearing information while others clearly learn better by seeing it or even writing it. If I had a teacher who was willing to present information in various formats I could usually figure out how to learn and absorb the information. Knowing that, I realize that I may not be able to effectively teach each student that I encounter unless I am willing to adapt to the student, not force the student to adapt to my way. I also see that my own children like to absorb information and approach studying in various ways. As I make suggestions to them about how to approach studying for a test, I have to be able to let them choose which of my suggestions to use and not try to impose my own study method on them. Also realizing that leaning on other teachers for assistance when needed is not a failure. It is part of a team effort to helping students be successful in their academics.

It is also vitally important to follow each student’s progress in a classroom as objectively as possible to ensure that they are growing academically. I believe that keeping good records is key to following a students’ progress throughout the school year. I like the idea of keeping a progress folder for each student with writing, math or drawing samples throughout the year and reviewing the folder periodically to note changes or lack of progress. This folder can be used in parent meetings and for examples in IEP meetings. If a student is not making accurate progress, then I would look into why and I also believe in involving the student in this analysis. I would evaluate and see if there is something I could do differently to help this student or if this student would benefit from a different teaching style. It is important to serve all students and not discriminate against anyone. I firmly believe that most students will respond to a positive teaching style that emphasizes that the teacher is really interested in their progress. From my own childhood classroom experiences and from my observation, I believe that the majority of students want to do well and do not like to disappoint parents and teachers. There are many students who hear negative things too often. Trying to point out positives for them is very important, no matter what the positives are at that moment. Everyone needs to hear positive feedback; it can help build self esteem and motivate a student to succeed.

An important part of education is the relationship between teachers, students, parents and the staff of the school. They have to work together as a team to be successful and to provide the best education for the students. I believe it is important to keep parents informed of their child’s achievements and failures in school. I plan to treat the parents as partners, not as adversaries, in the education of their children. After going through some rough time educationally myself as a child and then some with a child of my own, I feel I can offer students, parents and fellow teachers a point of view that may help them. I can let them know how important it is to be informed and feel like you are being givev the information. I will make sure parents realize I am there to help them advocate for their child and listen to their concerns. Communication is very important in the role of a teacher, a well as keeping detailed notes and documentation is extremely important to maintain accuracy when reporting information to parents or administration. I will also be open to feedback or evaluation from peers or parents. I understand this is very important for growth and development for me as a teacher.

In general, I will try to be a positive role model for all students and fellow teachers. I will provide a safe and educational classroom for students to learn and have fun at the same time. I hope to create an atmosphere of learning in my classroom that is conducive to all types of learning styles. I would feel a sense of accomplishment daily if my students could leave each day with a smile on their faces and felt like they had learned something new that day.