My Philosophy of Teaching

Ashley Gholson
Ivy Tech Community College
Central Indiana
Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who
understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly
be.
-Rita Pierson
Becoming a teacher has always been something I have wanted to do ever since I could
remember. Growing up with a mom who was a teacher helped me make my decision more clear
that this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life. I had a few different teachers that made
an amazing impression on me when I was in school. They helped me become a successful
student and helped me see that I could be that amazing teacher for another student. As we all
know there are always going to be those teachers that werent the best and I have had a couple
like that. I am just going to take those experiences to help me become a better teacher. Once I
saw all the opportunities that teaching could bring me, I realized I could be a good teacher if I
really put my mind to it. And that is exactly what I did.
Being the student that always was the one that struggled with almost every subject in school,
makes me realize that every child has their own way of learning. As a teacher we need to get to
know each and every one of the students and get on their level about how they learn in school.
Finding out each students learning preference is only going to help you as a teacher and its
going to help the students learn in a more efficient way. I believe that each and every student has
a different learning style, and my job as a teacher is to accommodate to all those learning styles.
As we are going on this amazing journey as teachers we come to realize that our students have to
be the ones who want to learn. We as teachers need to be there to encourage and promote the best
learning experiences as we can. I believe students should be educated in a nonthreatening
environment. These students not only should want to learn, but want to learn in a safe
environment. I believe as a teacher we need to be organized and have the confidence to teach our
students. Its my belief that teaching shouldnt just be presenting the information that we are
given, but rather the opportunity to change lives and encourage our students to be the best they
can be.
In my good and bad experiences growing up in school, I have realized that the teacher I want to
be is the one who makes learning a fun experience where students get excited about coming to
school. I believe we as teachers should use may different methods to teach, like presentations,
worksheets, small and large groups, and lots of hands-on activities. In my experience as a past
student who struggled in school, doing things was the best way for me to learn a certain concept
in school. Not only would I encourage activities in the classroom, but I also believe learning
should continue outside of the classroom while at home. I believe students should learn at a
young age how to properly write papers and to use the internet. I strongly believe in teaching
students about life skills by taking them on lots on field trips. Field trips give students a whole

new look on certain things and its fun to actually go somewhere and learn about it rather than
learning it in the classroom. Experiencing things hands on is believed to be one of the best
learning tools in the teaching world. As teachers we find ourselves always finding new and better
ways to become the best teachers we can be. As the years progress, I will be improving my skills
as a teacher to ensure my students have the best learning experiences.
Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions out there. I want to be that teacher where
every student in my classroom runs home with excitement about what they learned in school that
day. I want to be that adult that will not give up on them no matter what. They need a role model
in their life and I believe I am that for them. Learning can be exciting if we make it exciting and I
know I can do that. Teaching is all about changing the lives of our students and creating a
positive and safe learning environment for them.