Running Head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 1

Personal Teaching Philosophy

Beverly Leftwich
Regent University
PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 2

Introduction
My philosophy of education is everchanging. The more I grow as a Christian, a mother, a

teacher, and overall person, the more my views and beliefs of education and what it is to be a

teacher evolve. Some beliefs remain constant and have been with me since I began this journey

of becoming a teacher while others change as I learn and become more aware of research based

practices and methods of teaching. I believe that this is the norm and as a lifelong learner, my

personal teaching philosophy will continue to evolve.

Philosophy of Education
What you do on the first days of school will determine your success or failure for the rest

of the school year (Wong, 2009). I believe that teachers should implement the classroom routines

and procedures beginning on day one. It is important that students learn how to do these routines

and procedures during the first couple of weeks of school. Modeling is the best strategy a

teacher can use. Younger students may not know what it means when a teacher tells them to line

up and others may not know how to walk quietly to the lunch room. Students thrive in a

structured environment and from my own experience as a preschool teacher I have seen that

children like to know what is coming next. It gives them a feeling of stability and it is

comforting as a student to walk into your classroom knowing what the day will bring. When

there is surprise or disorganization it is hard for learning to take place. When the teacher is not

prepared and there is a lot of downtime, students will tend to misbehave. Consistency in routines

and procedures, and planning ahead will help to eliminate or prevent many unwanted behaviors

within your classroom.

Building relationships with students as well as having them build relationships with each

other early on will set the tone for a successful school year when it comes to classroom
PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 3

management. As students enter the classroom, teachers should greet them outside the door with

a smile along with some sort of gesture. A simple handshake, fist pump, or high five are non-

verbal ways of showing your students that you are happy that they are there. It is important to do

this every day as this may be the one thing that some students look forward to. I would also have

my students greet each other as they enter the class. They will walk around the room and do the

same, give a high five, fist pump, or hand shake to each of their peers before they sit and start on

morning work. Creating a warm and inviting classroom where students feel loved and safe is

something that I will strive to do from the very beginning. My classroom may be the only

constant in a childs life where they experience these things.

When children are engaged in the lesson, the chances of misbehaviors occurring are

decreased. Student learning and on-task behavior are maximized when instructional strategies

are based on what we know about student development and how people learn (Levin & Nolan,

2010). Children have better control over their attention as they get older and they also have

greater long-term memory (Bergin & Bergin, 2015). It is important for teachers to implement

brain breaks or opportunities for students to get up and move between or during a lesson.

Social constructivist emphasizes social interaction as the source of knowledge

construction (Bergin & Bergin, 2015). Cooperative learning plays an important role in the

classroom learning environment. Children learn more when they are able to discuss ideas with

their peers and work together on assignments. Strategies such as Think-Pair-Share, Numbered

Heads Together, and Jigsaw (Kagan, 2013) are all ways to incorporate group work into your

lessons. Students, especially during the elementary grades, are becoming increasingly social and

need opportunities to talk with their peers. It is important to note that cooperative learning is

more successful when used in a classroom that has already established excellent classroom
PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 4

management techniques. The children need to know what is expected of them during the group

work and must feel a sense of responsibility for his or her part.

Evolution of Beliefs

I began teaching in November of 2007. My mindset was very different back then. I had

just graduated college with a degree in Early Childhood Education and began teaching preschool.

I did not have a strong knowledge base in developmentally appropriate or differentiated

instructional strategies and some students suffered because of it. I taught those first few years

without any guidance and without implementing research-based methods or instructional

strategies. Over time, my teaching philosophy has moved from a teacher-centered approach and

a mix of both teacher and student-centered instructional strategies. I am more aware of the

importance of cooperative learning and how children can learn more from each other when

working in partnerships or groups (Kagan, 2013).

Goals and Integration of Faith

It wasnt until my fourth year of teaching preschool that I began to understand that

teaching was not only a career that I chose for myself, but was a calling that God placed on my

life. I made up my mind to go back to school and further my education. Fear of the unknown

took a hold on me and I waited four years to enroll in Regents graduate program. One of my

favorite scriptures is from 2nd Corinthians 12:9, But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for

you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about

my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me (New International Version). My God is

strong when I am weak. Teaching has proven to be one of the hardest things I have ever done,

and it is only by the grace of God that I am able to do what I do.

PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 5

I plan to continue my education and become a reading specialist. Reading is at the root

of all content; students need strong literacy skills for solving math word problems,

comprehending history texts, and writing research papers on scientific theories. It will not be by

my own might that I will accomplish all that I want to do. There are things that do not come

easy to me, such as math and science. I am going to have to lean on God and trust him to give

me what I need each and every day. My God has great plans for me, plans to give me a hope and

a future (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).

PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 6

References

Bergin, C. & Bergin, D. (2015). Child and Adolescent Development in Your Classroom (2nd ed).

Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Kagan, S., (2013). Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures. San Clemente, CA: Kagan

Publishing.

Levin, J., & Nolan, J.F., (2010). Principles of Classroom Management: A Professional Decision-

Making Model. Saddler River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Wong, H.K. & Wong, R.T., (2009). The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher.

Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.

PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 7