Philosophy of Teaching

As a teacher it is very important to have a philosophy of teaching. One needs to think about what it important to them as a person and what they want their students to get out of being in their classroom. One should aim for their ideal learning situation, and then learn from each year’s teaching so they can improve each successive year. Since I am now coming close to completing my sixth year of teaching, I have had a chance to put my philosophy into practice. I try to instill a love of learning in each child and provide a means to find that knowledge. I try to instill a sense of self worth and respect for each other. I consider my classroom democratic. However, I am still the authority figure. I guide the children into making up the classroom rules. We discuss each rule and the need for that particular rule in the classroom. I find that when the students make up the rules they are more apt to follow them. The class and I also discuss the repercussions of breaking the rules. This way they know ahead of time what the consequences are for their misbehavior. My classroom is open to any questions the students may have. I want them to know that there are no stupid questions and every question asked promoted more learning. No one will make fin of anyone else’s questions. The class will be able to share their opinions and ideas freely. They will respect each other’s thoughts and feelings. Along with respect, each child will care about each other’s feelings and help each other out when needed. Every child is treated equally in accordance to his/her individual needs. Students are taught using several different styles such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. in hope of reaching each one. Music, games, and art are included in the lessons to motivate them, keep their interest and expand their horizons. My classroom is a fun place where students are excited to return each day. While teaching, I try to assess what they know, what they want to know, and what they have learned. I am very organized in my classroom so that students always know what they must do and what is expected of them. I have a particular signal when I want the students to come together as a class and focus on something I want to share with them. Lessons vary as whole groups, mixed group and individual work. I have different learning stations set up in my classroom. Students are able to access these stations as their individual work is completed. With older students, I work with learning packets, individualized for different groups of students, challenging the brighter students, and motivating and encouraging the slower learners. Learning stations may contain material that are both in and beyond the curriculum. It is changed frequently so that students may be exposed to multitude of information. In this way students may be challenged to go beyond what they think their capabilities are. Independence and responsibilities are two very important parts of my philosophy. Students learn responsibility in several ways. First in classroom jobs, next with individualized work, and thirdly with their individual part of group work. They are responsible for completing their work, whether it be class work or homework, without too much help at home. Projects are geared towards their ability