Teaching Philosophy My teaching philosophy is deeply rooted in helping and nurturing others.

It is through my experiences as a student and as an educator, I have found this to be true. For me, being an educator is all about helping, guiding, and nurturing students to reach their greatest potential, even though at times they feel it is impossible. Furthermore, as an educator, I have a desire to help and nurture children to reach their greatest potential in obtaining a good quality education. Therefore, it is through my pedagogical beliefs and mission as a teacher is to promote the importance of receiving an education, providing a safe and nurturing environment, and encouraging students to be active life-long learners. I chose to become a teacher because I believe that education is very important for all children. I believe that with an education it provides a solid foundation of security for ones success. Seeking an educationwill open doors of opportunity (Cook, 2012). Obtaining an education provides understanding and skills that can help us develop self-reliance (LDS, 2012). More importantly, I believe education is an important tool because it is something attainable, something powerful, and something that cannot ever be taken away from a person. Therefore, obtaining an education is a gift, a treasure filled with knowledge and wisdom that can be gained and expanded on to be shared with others in this world we live in. Furthermore, my goal in the classroom is to teach children that they are valued, respected individual thinkers within the classroom and community. I want to instill and ensure my students that they are safe and nurtured in my class, so that they feel loved and valued for whom they are as a respected person. I believe, students thrive in environments where they feel safe, nurtured and respected (McFarland-McDaniels, 2012), by their teacher and by their peers. Having a positive environment that is safe and nurturing in the classroom allows students to feel

comfortable, appreciated, and loved. Where in turn, the students are able to thrive in their studies and they are able to express themselves freely as they share their thoughts and feelings with their teacher and peers in the classroom, without them having to be afraid to speak up. Lastly, as a student and as an educator, I am an active lifelong learner. Because I am an active lifelong learner, I want to instill and encourage my students to also be active lifelong learners as well. An active lifelong learner employs the development of human potential through a continuously supportive process which stimulates and empowers individuals to acquire all the knowledge, values, skills, and understanding they will require throughout their lifetimes and to apply them with confidence, creativity and enjoyment in all roles, circumstances, and environments (Longworth & Davies, 1996, p. 22). Being an active lifelong learner will also empower students to acquire a level of understanding that provides them with the flexibility to respond to new situations and serves as the foundation for a lifetime of further learning (National Center for Research on Teacher Learning, 1993, p. 2). It is through this further learning that students will enhance their skills and develop their knowledge of the things they learn in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Therefore, teaching students to always be active lifelong learners now in the classroom will prepare them for their success after they graduate from high school and on to their bright future. In short, I teach because I value education. I teach because I want to encourage a positive, safe, and nurturing environment for all my students. For me, teaching is important because learning is a lifelong commitment. I will teach these values because they are essential tools for success. Tools that will help prepare all my students to reach their fullest potential as successful students and future leaders of tomorrow. It is this teaching epistemology that I believe in and that I value as an educator.

Reference Answers.com. (2013). Gale encyclopedia of education: Lifelong learning. Answers.com. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/lifelong-learning Cook, M. N. (2012, March). Seek learning: You have to do work. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: General Conference, April, 2012. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/general-young-women-meeting/2012/03/seeklearning-you-have-a-work-to-do?lan=eng Longworth, N., & Davies, W. K. (1996). Lifelong learning: New vision, new implications, new roles for people, organizations, nations and communities in the 21st century. London: Kogan Page. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/lifelong-learning McFarland-McDaniels, M. (2012, March). Children respond to a positive learning environment. Bright Hub Education. Retrieved from http://www.brightubeducation.com/classroommanagement/13907-creating-a-positive-learning-environment/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (2012). Why is it important for me to gain an education and develop skills? Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/yw/selfreliance/develop?lang=eng The National Center for Research on Teacher Learning. (1993, November). How teachers learn to engage students in active learning. Michigan State University. Retrieved from http://ncrtl.msu.edu/http/teachers.pdf