Philosophy of Teaching

Because I have already written a philosophy of teaching for my undergraduate degree, I thought that I would post this in response to the readings. Enjoy.

Children are full of awe and wonderment about the world around them. They are always finding opportunities to learn and use every sense to explore their world. I believe a classroom is a place that a child’s wonderment should be nurtured and deepened. As an educator, I believe that the best way for children to fulfill their desire and need to learn is to have an environment that is safe and secure, accepting of everyone, and child-centered. I also believe that in order for children to get the most out of their learning experience, there must be a family and school partnership.

I believe that children learn the best when their environment is safe and secure. I have found that children are more willing to take risks when they know that they are being supported by their teachers and when there is no danger in the classroom. Risk taking is an important part of learning for children because they are exploring new parts of their world. This can only be done in an invulnerable environment.

The beginning years of a child’s education are the most important. During this time, they begin to form their ideas and attitudes about education. I believe that learning should be creative, fun, and hands-on. I also believe that learning should be challenging in such a way that it is appropriate for each child. If children begin with a positive education experience, they are more likely to succeed and continue in their educational career.

I believe that a classroom should be child-centered. In other words, what the children are curious about is what I will base my curriculum on. In order to make my curriculum child-centered, I will observe and listen to the children and focus on their wonderment about the world around them. When children are included in the building of curriculum, they are more likely to be interested in what the curriculum has to offer and gain more from the curriculum.

Each child brings a special, uniqueness to a classroom. I believe that each child should be accepted and that their uniqueness should be valued and not judged. Each child’s learning style is going to be different. I believe that it is very important to educate myself in many different learning styles in order to best meet each child’s learning needs. I am not teaching for my convenience or what will be the easiest, I am teaching for the children and their needs.

The relationship between families and teacher is a vital part of a child’s learning experience. I believe that when families and teachers work together to support a child’s learning, the child will gain more from their educational experience. The more that everyone works together to support the child’s growth and development, the better the future will be for each child.

As an educator, I will always be learning and growing. I hope to be able to share my passion for learning with my students. I believe that teaching is my small way of making the future brighter through each child.

“A teacher affects eternity: he/she can never tell where his/her influence stops.” Henry Adams.