Teaching Philosophy

There is something so exhilarating about knowing that you made a difference in someones life, and that
you had a special hand in helping individuals foster their learning, accomplish their goals and maybe even realize
their dreams. This is who I want to be as a teacher. I think there are so many qualities that excellent teachers possess,
some of which include: being motivating, engaging, and understanding, as well as showing a passion, and respect
for their students. These are all qualities I believe I possess, and what I strive towards. Throughout my years of
schooling I have had many opportunities to experience these different qualities first hand, and to really see how
much of an impact that engaging and motivating students has on their learning and overall feelings towards school.
Teaching should focus on the needs of students, and every student is entitled to have equal opportunity to
further their learning. A broad world view is exceptionally important because it gives the teacher an advantage in
understanding so many different ideas, possibilities, beliefs, values etc., as well as respecting and understanding
diversity within the classroom. Through my experiences I have come to realize the importance of focusing on the
person as a whole, and I will focus on helping the individual students find their own personal meaning, personal and
social values, as well as identifying their learning styles and strategies for them to implement. I believe that a
classroom should be filled with active learners, inquiry based learning, integrated and critical thinking, intrinsically
motivated students, experiments, reflection, discussions, and it should have a open atmosphere where all students
feel safe physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
I strongly believe that learning never ends, and I feel that I can learn a lot from the students. Further,
improvement is always necessary, and through trial and error and feedback, I will continue to grow and improve my
skills as a teacher. I want to make children want to come to school and get excited about learning. I want to foster
students creativity while they learn communication and problem-solving skills. I do not just want to expose my
students to great ideas and thoughts; I want them to come up with interesting ideas and thoughts themselves. I also
feel that it is critical to a students success that their parents are actively involved with their childs learning. Along
with this, effective communication between the teacher, student, and parents/guardians is necessary as it keeps the
parents informed and included with classroom activities. Some teaching applications that I believe are vital to
learning development are: collaboration/cooperation, technology integration, and inquiry. I also think it is important
for teachers to incorporate problem-based learning, experimental practices, and to teach to different learning styles
in their classroom. Inquiry based learning has been a huge part of my final internship, and it broadened and
reawakened my own practice. This style of learning and teaching really allows students to take hold of their own
learning which helps to keep them accountable and invested.
I am a very passionate person who sets goals high and strives to achieve them. I hope to learn something
new everyday, and to let students know that it is okay to make mistakes because that is how we learn. I want to
create a stimulating, engaging, and flexible classroom environment for students, and to be the person who helps
them reach that aha! moment when they finally understand a new skill or concept. I also want to be a person
whom the students feel safe with and know that they can talk to me about their problems. Through the fostering of
young minds, there is a potential for greatness in everyone. I am excited to start my career, and to shape the future
one individual at a time.