Philosophy of Education

My philosophy of education includes many elements from my role as a teacher and meeting teaching standards to learning styles and promoting critical thinking skills.

I feel my role as a teacher is as the facilitator in an active classroom by promoting hands-on experiences, open dialogue, the use of manipulatives, and the respect for diverse learning styles. I believe in encouraging children to explore and learn on their own as well as work with others to discover answers. I favor participation in discussion over lecture and allowing children to discover solutions to questions on their own.

I have adopted a progressive view on learning and critical thinking. Research has shown that memorization alone does not lead to knowledge, but children learn by applying information to real-world experiences. This may require them to ask very important questions and to apply them to social issues and challenges to the extent that is developmentally appropriate. I appreciate the need for standards in curriculum and feel these standards can be met by incorporating the knowledge needed into real-life situations and by hands-on experiences.

I believe classrooms work best with the collaboration and mutual respect of students, parents and other family members, other teachers and professionals, and administrators. I believe parents should be active team members and should be respected for their valuable knowledge and input on their child’s development.

I believe classroom instruction and practice should be developmentally appropriate. It is essential for teachers to have an understanding of child development and make sure that the expectations of students match their individual needs, interests, and developmental abilities. All children are unique, have special talents to offer, and have varying needs. Classrooms work best when there is a sense of community and all children (regardless of race, class, gender, or ability) have the opportunity to share their gifts.

I also believe that children respond best to positive behavioral supports. Behavior should be approached in a way that is proactive rather than reactive and gets to the root of the problem. Teachers should be knowledgeable about ways to plan for the modification of negative behaviors in a positive manner. I believe problems with behavior are best solved by having a well-developed philosophy on how to handle negative behavior, consistent expectations, and with the mutual respect of students and their parents or other caregivers. These elements combined will help to maintain a positive and stress-free learning environment.

I feel I have a responsibility to my students, my school, and myself to remain current with educational research and professional organizations. Teaching requires us to be life-long learners and to always be open for self-improvement.