My Philosophy of Teaching
“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”
-James Arthur Baldwin
Why I want to teach:
I want to be a teacher because I love how children look up to their tall friends, admire them and want to be like them. Children are curious, they have so many questions and they want to learn. My goal is to keep their curiosity alive by listening, being patient and allowing them to discover their world in an exciting way.
The purpose of education:
Education should teach students about their culture, history and how they can become part of it. Education should teach social skills, communication and thinking skills. It should teach them about other cultures, languages and people and open their minds to their world of differences.
I believe that the purpose of education should be to equip the student with tools to learn, to guide the student through basic problems, to teach skills and help them learn how to learn. I think it is important to teach them about the classics and events that shaped the world to what it is now.
Role of the student:
I think the student should know the value of an education. The student should know how important it is to learn and to be a part of his community. Everything the student learns should help him understand and evaluate the world around him. Students should be challenged to think outside the box and develop critical thinking. The student is not supposed to just accept everything as it is but to think about it and its importance in the classroom, community and the world.
My role as the teacher:
As a student and still learning about teaching as a profession I know the role of a teacher is very diverse. It is not just teaching a subject- it is building relationships with students, recognizing learning differences, managing a classroom, creating interesting lessons and setting up students to be successful members of society. My role as a teacher is going to be the person I want them to be.
Who I will teach:
I will teach elementary school aged children. I know they have a lot of energy, which I hope to use to turn my classroom into an exciting learning environment. I know students prefer different kinds of learning and I will try my best teaching to reach all of them and to help them understand. I hope to use technology because it is what they know and grow up with. Most children are very visual and prefer hands on learning and I think it is a great way to learn.
What and how I will teach:
I have to mention the students’ energy again and how they need excitement and do not want to be bored. I know it is important to vary teaching strategies. Students enjoy watching a short movie or a PowerPoint Presentation as well as learning through a group assignment or research projects. I think because of the differences in learning preferences it is fair to use a variety of assessments for a grade at the end of the school year instead of just one objective test. I also believe that relating the material to the students’ personal experiences is very important to successfully learn something and remember it well. This method will allow all students to succeed in the classroom.
When I teach the class a concept, I would like them to come up with their own solutions for a problem. I agree with both Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories of development and how to best construct knowledge based on their thinking abilities. I believe in teaching in the magic middle to keep the student motivated and gaining knowledge. I believe that social interactions are key for the student to learn not only to be a good student but a good person outside of the classroom. I love the quote by James Baldwin- “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders. But they never fail to imitate them.” I will be their role model, their leader, a parent at all times and should never expect anything from my students that I am not willing to do.
Schools are a safe learning environment for students. They should learn more than just math or history. I think that teachers are responsible for making sure every student feels accomplished at the end of the day that they leave with the knowledge that they learned something useful and want to come back the next day. That they can be confident as a student and go into a test knowing their teacher taught them right and well.
One of my favorite classes in school was Latin which was not because of the language but because my teacher made it fun to learn this ‘dead’ language. She was young and excited about Latin and was still in school learning Latin. She sang songs with us in Latin, went on a class trip with us to Rome to translate scriptures on old buildings and ate pizza with us. It was not required to learn Latin and I did not think I needed it, but she made it relevant for me and helped me through it. This is why I know a teacher can make every subject exciting as long as they know and care about their audience and the subject they teach.
-James Arthur Baldwin
Why I want to teach:
I want to be a teacher because I love how children look up to their tall friends, admire them and want to be like them. Children are curious, they have so many questions and they want to learn. My goal is to keep their curiosity alive by listening, being patient and allowing them to discover their world in an exciting way.
The purpose of education:
Education should teach students about their culture, history and how they can become part of it. Education should teach social skills, communication and thinking skills. It should teach them about other cultures, languages and people and open their minds to their world of differences.
I believe that the purpose of education should be to equip the student with tools to learn, to guide the student through basic problems, to teach skills and help them learn how to learn. I think it is important to teach them about the classics and events that shaped the world to what it is now.
Role of the student:
I think the student should know the value of an education. The student should know how important it is to learn and to be a part of his community. Everything the student learns should help him understand and evaluate the world around him. Students should be challenged to think outside the box and develop critical thinking. The student is not supposed to just accept everything as it is but to think about it and its importance in the classroom, community and the world.
My role as the teacher:
As a student and still learning about teaching as a profession I know the role of a teacher is very diverse. It is not just teaching a subject- it is building relationships with students, recognizing learning differences, managing a classroom, creating interesting lessons and setting up students to be successful members of society. My role as a teacher is going to be the person I want them to be.
Who I will teach:
I will teach elementary school aged children. I know they have a lot of energy, which I hope to use to turn my classroom into an exciting learning environment. I know students prefer different kinds of learning and I will try my best teaching to reach all of them and to help them understand. I hope to use technology because it is what they know and grow up with. Most children are very visual and prefer hands on learning and I think it is a great way to learn.
What and how I will teach:
I have to mention the students’ energy again and how they need excitement and do not want to be bored. I know it is important to vary teaching strategies. Students enjoy watching a short movie or a PowerPoint Presentation as well as learning through a group assignment or research projects. I think because of the differences in learning preferences it is fair to use a variety of assessments for a grade at the end of the school year instead of just one objective test. I also believe that relating the material to the students’ personal experiences is very important to successfully learn something and remember it well. This method will allow all students to succeed in the classroom.
When I teach the class a concept, I would like them to come up with their own solutions for a problem. I agree with both Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories of development and how to best construct knowledge based on their thinking abilities. I believe in teaching in the magic middle to keep the student motivated and gaining knowledge. I believe that social interactions are key for the student to learn not only to be a good student but a good person outside of the classroom. I love the quote by James Baldwin- “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders. But they never fail to imitate them.” I will be their role model, their leader, a parent at all times and should never expect anything from my students that I am not willing to do.
Schools are a safe learning environment for students. They should learn more than just math or history. I think that teachers are responsible for making sure every student feels accomplished at the end of the day that they leave with the knowledge that they learned something useful and want to come back the next day. That they can be confident as a student and go into a test knowing their teacher taught them right and well.
One of my favorite classes in school was Latin which was not because of the language but because my teacher made it fun to learn this ‘dead’ language. She was young and excited about Latin and was still in school learning Latin. She sang songs with us in Latin, went on a class trip with us to Rome to translate scriptures on old buildings and ate pizza with us. It was not required to learn Latin and I did not think I needed it, but she made it relevant for me and helped me through it. This is why I know a teacher can make every subject exciting as long as they know and care about their audience and the subject they teach.