Philosophy of education
Deer Creek
The path that led to my decision to become a teacher is long and winding. As a child I never would have thought that I would one day enter the teaching profession. During a conversation about my decision to become a teacher with the head of the lab I work at, Dr. Andrew Baldwin (University of Maryland), he described teaching as a “noble” profession. After all, without teachers and the sharing of humanity’s collective learning, we would still be stuck in the Paleolithic era.
Every profession depends on teachers; from the most basic lessons of learning to read and write to the advanced lessons that teach a trade or skill. Being a teacher allows me to be an integral part of the continuation of human development and growth. The opportunity to share my experience and knowledge in the pursuit of improving the position of another is, to me, a profession of the utmost nobility.
During my education I've had the good fortune to be taught by some truly amazing teachers. That I can still remember sitting in their classes, or interacting with them, 15+ years later shows the incredible impact that they had on my development. It was these teachers that shared with me their passion, dedication, and perfection of the art and science of teaching that inspired me to consider a career as a teacher.
I have worked in a variety of fields over the last 20 years. Never have I become as passionate over my future as when I decided on the teaching path. My backgrounds in systems development and management, business management, and environmental science provides me with a unique and versatile set of skills and perspectives that I can utilize in my pedagogy. I have learned how to be flexible and innovative, handle conflicts, make the most of the least, integrate diverse teams, work collaboratively, manage schedules, and lead effectively. I can speak with enthusiasm, engage an audience, and respond quickly to the unexpected.
As a teacher there are some key philosophies that I bring with me:
Every profession depends on teachers; from the most basic lessons of learning to read and write to the advanced lessons that teach a trade or skill. Being a teacher allows me to be an integral part of the continuation of human development and growth. The opportunity to share my experience and knowledge in the pursuit of improving the position of another is, to me, a profession of the utmost nobility.
During my education I've had the good fortune to be taught by some truly amazing teachers. That I can still remember sitting in their classes, or interacting with them, 15+ years later shows the incredible impact that they had on my development. It was these teachers that shared with me their passion, dedication, and perfection of the art and science of teaching that inspired me to consider a career as a teacher.
I have worked in a variety of fields over the last 20 years. Never have I become as passionate over my future as when I decided on the teaching path. My backgrounds in systems development and management, business management, and environmental science provides me with a unique and versatile set of skills and perspectives that I can utilize in my pedagogy. I have learned how to be flexible and innovative, handle conflicts, make the most of the least, integrate diverse teams, work collaboratively, manage schedules, and lead effectively. I can speak with enthusiasm, engage an audience, and respond quickly to the unexpected.
As a teacher there are some key philosophies that I bring with me:
- Like myself, every student has a unique perspective and background. From this diversity comes opportunities for me to improve my knowledge and cultural exposure. The ideas and opinions students may bring to a discussion can be used to enhance my teaching and involve them in the learning process.
- The concept of classroom equity is important to me as it applies both to how I interact with students as well as how hold them accountable. I believe that all of my students can succeed and that my job as a teacher is to discover and adapt pedagogy that will allow me to fulfill this belief. My preference is to use effective praise as a tool to shape the overall atmosphere within my classroom.
- Goal setting will help to communicate my expectations as well as help me to measure both my own, and my student’s performance in order to make adjustments where necessary. By presenting students with daily, unit, semester, and yearly goals I will be able to convey to them my expectations and provide metrics for my own evaluations.
- By communicating not only my expectations for their coursework, but giving my students specific goals (rubrics) to meet, I will intrinsically motivate them to set higher standards for themselves. Students who are falling behind will be encouraged through the identification of past success. They will be guided to understand how effort and personal ability allowed them to achieve.
- I will encourage parent involvement and practice procedures that provide parents with updates on student goals and performance I will provide suggestions of ways they can integrate themselves into the learning process.
- I have a responsibility to my students to be a successful educator and/or mentor and above all be someone that they can trust. I must be competent in the subject matter that I teach. I must also be confident in my ability to convey my knowledge effectively as well as address unexpected situations that may arise. At all times I must conduct myself in a professional and responsible manner.
Continue to:
Snowman, J. (2011). Psychology applied to teaching (13th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.