Samantha

Batdorff
EDF 310-07
10/16/2015

Philosophy of Education

Each child is a unique individual who has the potential to bring something special

into the world. In order for students to discover and develop to their full potential,
students need to feel safe and accepted for who they are. I will achieve this by building a
strong classroom community that has clear expectations, rules, and procedures. Students
will be involved in developing these expectations, rules, and procedures so that they feel
personally invested in the community.
It is important to consistently hold high expectations for each and every student in
the classroom. If I do not believe that my students are capable of achieving great things,
why should they? Maintaining high expectations will show my students that I believe in
their ability to learn and grow. It is equally important that I maintain high expectations for
myself. I expect myself to establish a strong community in the classroom, maintain an
actively engaged environment, and accommodate my students individual and unique
learning needs in order to achieve high levels of success.
Rather than allowing students to disengage when they do not understand a concept,
I will encourage these students to find new ways of approaching the idea. Each student is
unique in his or her own way; they all have different strengths and weaknesses. I will
identify each of my students strengths and encourage them to use those strengths in their
work. I refuse to view my students differences as deficits.
Understanding the individuality of each student requires a familiarity with students
cultural backgrounds, family structures, values, hobbies, interests, and more. The
relationship should extend beyond academics and serve as a social support. Being aware

of my students cultural frameworks will allow me to develop curriculum that connects to

their every day lives. When students are presented with curriculum that is meaningful and
relevant, they are able to feel themselves reflected in the classroom. This is an essential
part of creating valuable learning experiences that enhance comprehension of the content
being presented.
All children have different backgrounds, interests, needs, and ways of learning. That
is why I am adamant about applying various teaching strategies and guided individual
instruction to the learning process. My lessons will be intentionally structured in order to
address individual learning challenges and will use an assortment of hands-on and self-
discovery tasks. I am aware of the importance of adhering to state standards and I plan to
do so through innovative activities that make learning fun and meaningful for my students.
Student learning outcomes are strongly influenced by active student learning; therefore, I
will give my students instruction and engaging assignments that extend beyond simply
recalling information.
I will take the time to know and understand my students as unique individuals who
each have something valuable to contribute to the classroom. I will take the time to create a
genuine classroom community where students feel comfortable taking risks and sharing
their ideas. In my classroom, students will feel acknowledged and accepted for all of the
wonderfully diverse qualities that they contribute to our community.