SPED 502 Fall 2013

Due Date: October 24, 2013

Preliminary Statement of My Teaching Philosophy
I believe that, second to loving and sound parenting, teaching is the most important job in the world. I chose to pursue certification in early childhood special education because I believe in the importance of early intervention. Abraham Lincoln once said: “Teach the children so that it will not be necessary to teach the adults.” I would like to add that we must save the children so it will not be necessary to save the teenager. My teaching philosophy can be summarized in a few words: love, respect, and growth. Love encompasses a love for children, a love of knowledge and the love to share and teach others. Respect includes respect for self, respect for others, and respect for our community. In regards to growth I believe that, in addition to being a teacher, we should always remain students at heart. As long as we are learning something new that enriches our lives and/or our community we will never cease to grow.
As a residential counselor I worked with severely abused boys from as young as six years old to eighteen years of age. These children were sent to the facility I worked with because they were the victims of the worse abuse in Northern California. While the abuse was as horrific from child to child, one could clearly see that the teenagers that were brought to us were the most difficult ones to reach. What life taught them was that no one—especially an adult—should be trusted and that life was cruel and very difficult. It took, in my experience at least, an average of six months to gain their trust and still it was not the trust needed to succeed in relationships. With

the younger boys there was still a desire to be consoled, listened to, and