Philosophy of Education
Although many people mainly view education as the process of learning that occurs in classrooms on a daily basis, education is comprised of so much more than the learning of numbers, parts of speech, or the Revolutionary War. These important concepts, along with others, are very important in the educational growth and development of students; however, life lessons learned in the classroom are equally important to the learning process. I believe that learning can happen in various forms in the classroom and all forms should be welcomed with open arms, whether it is a lesson passed conventionally from teacher to student, a lesson learned by the teacher from his/her student, or a lesson learned through cooperative learning.
Every day, teachers are presented with the opportunity to change a child’s life and leave his/her students better off than they were the day before. Teachers need to take this responsibility seriously. Although teachers do educate students on a daily basis, teachers also take on the roles of coaches, counselors, caregivers, motivators, and disciplinarians; all of these roles provide teachers with the chance to provide each student with the best educational experience possible and lessons they will always remember.
In the classroom, especially a classroom full of younger students, the disposition of the teacher can change the mood of the entire room for better or for worse. If students enter a classroom that belongs to a teacher who is not enthusiastic or excited about teaching and learning, those students will feel that lack of excitement and reciprocate it to the teacher when it is time to learn. Teachers need to be excited about their subject matter and provide their students with a zest for learning and a sincere interest in the topic at hand. With the amount of emphasis that is place on standardized test scores in the school system today, sometimes difficulties arise in making learning fun and interesting for students because there is so much information that students are required to learn. Even if a particular topic is difficult for students to grasp, a little enthusiasm and motivation from the teacher can go a long way.
Teachers must also realize that learning styles differ from student to student and these styles must be accommodated daily on an individual basis. Accommodating all learning styles can become a difficult task in some circumstances but teachers need to be willing to plan and adjust activities to ensure understanding from all students no matter how they learn best. Time spent learning in the classroom should occur in individual work, cooperative work, lecture, and hands-on activities.
Teachers should also make the classroom a place that is inviting and conducive to learning. This can be accomplished by making the room visually appealing and motivational for students because if the classroom is visually stimulating, students will be subconsciously motivated to work more and do a better job on their work. The student-teacher and student-student relationships can also affect the learning atmosphere negatively or positively. Teachers need to be aware at all times of the relationship he or she has with his/her students and also monitor the relationships between students to keep everyone motivated to get along and by doing so, further their learning experience. Once students realize that the teacher cares about them, their well-being, and wants them to have a positive educational experience, the students will most likely be willing to at least put forth more effort and strive to become better students.
For me, the educational experience is a sacred one; through education, both students and teachers are provided with opportunities to better themselves and make the world around them a better place on a daily basis. I did not choose to become a teacher to make large sums of money; I chose to become a teacher because nothing can compare to the moment when a student who has struggled with a certain topic or subject for days finally has that “Aha!” moment when everything comes together and they finally understand that all of their hard work has paid off. I look forward to empowering my students with not only informational, textbook knowledge but also with the confidence and positive attitude to achieve as much as they are capable once they leave my classroom.
Although many people mainly view education as the process of learning that occurs in classrooms on a daily basis, education is comprised of so much more than the learning of numbers, parts of speech, or the Revolutionary War. These important concepts, along with others, are very important in the educational growth and development of students; however, life lessons learned in the classroom are equally important to the learning process. I believe that learning can happen in various forms in the classroom and all forms should be welcomed with open arms, whether it is a lesson passed conventionally from teacher to student, a lesson learned by the teacher from his/her student, or a lesson learned through cooperative learning.
Every day, teachers are presented with the opportunity to change a child’s life and leave his/her students better off than they were the day before. Teachers need to take this responsibility seriously. Although teachers do educate students on a daily basis, teachers also take on the roles of coaches, counselors, caregivers, motivators, and disciplinarians; all of these roles provide teachers with the chance to provide each student with the best educational experience possible and lessons they will always remember.
In the classroom, especially a classroom full of younger students, the disposition of the teacher can change the mood of the entire room for better or for worse. If students enter a classroom that belongs to a teacher who is not enthusiastic or excited about teaching and learning, those students will feel that lack of excitement and reciprocate it to the teacher when it is time to learn. Teachers need to be excited about their subject matter and provide their students with a zest for learning and a sincere interest in the topic at hand. With the amount of emphasis that is place on standardized test scores in the school system today, sometimes difficulties arise in making learning fun and interesting for students because there is so much information that students are required to learn. Even if a particular topic is difficult for students to grasp, a little enthusiasm and motivation from the teacher can go a long way.
Teachers must also realize that learning styles differ from student to student and these styles must be accommodated daily on an individual basis. Accommodating all learning styles can become a difficult task in some circumstances but teachers need to be willing to plan and adjust activities to ensure understanding from all students no matter how they learn best. Time spent learning in the classroom should occur in individual work, cooperative work, lecture, and hands-on activities.
Teachers should also make the classroom a place that is inviting and conducive to learning. This can be accomplished by making the room visually appealing and motivational for students because if the classroom is visually stimulating, students will be subconsciously motivated to work more and do a better job on their work. The student-teacher and student-student relationships can also affect the learning atmosphere negatively or positively. Teachers need to be aware at all times of the relationship he or she has with his/her students and also monitor the relationships between students to keep everyone motivated to get along and by doing so, further their learning experience. Once students realize that the teacher cares about them, their well-being, and wants them to have a positive educational experience, the students will most likely be willing to at least put forth more effort and strive to become better students.
For me, the educational experience is a sacred one; through education, both students and teachers are provided with opportunities to better themselves and make the world around them a better place on a daily basis. I did not choose to become a teacher to make large sums of money; I chose to become a teacher because nothing can compare to the moment when a student who has struggled with a certain topic or subject for days finally has that “Aha!” moment when everything comes together and they finally understand that all of their hard work has paid off. I look forward to empowering my students with not only informational, textbook knowledge but also with the confidence and positive attitude to achieve as much as they are capable once they leave my classroom.