Teaching Philosophy

As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can
use to change the world” and as an educator I am part of the profession that is instrumental in
effecting this change within the world. It is the difference in the meaning of the word education,
and the interpretation of this quote that ties it to my teaching philosophy. It is the difference in
every student, classroom, culture, ethnicity, race, gender, socioeconomic status, learning style,
language and perspective the reflects how strong and influential education is. This understanding
of the power of education fuels my desire to build a classroom that will be full of opportunities
for differences. An environment where differences are accepted and celebrated. I aspire to foster
growth and development of problem posing education which, similar to Vygotsky and the
constructivist approach, builds on curiosity and asking questions, pushing critical thinking skills,
and questioning the world around us. I reject the idea of the banking concept as described by
Paulo Freire in his article The “Banking” Concept of Education, and wish to create a classroom
that works to the contrary of this concept in every way. By pledging to make this differentiation I
will execute instructional lessons full of connections to real life, meaningful open-ended
questions, and hand-ons experiences. These strategies not only cultivate a classroom community
that is open in communication, inquiry, and acceptance, but develop a society of conscious
thinkers that can be successful in ways more meaningful than being able to simply adapt to the
world as it exists now.
As an Early Childhood education and Literacy Studies dual major, I have believe that
language and the early years hold two significant pieces of a student’s education. Everything a
child see, hears, tastes, touches, and smell, develops and revises their mental schemas, as Piaget
believes, all that surrounds them affects the way the learn about and understand the world. My
classroom will implement developmentally appropriate practice, ongoing formative assessment,
and differentiated instruction to ensure that every student that walks through the door has the
opportunity to learn and develop their schemas to the best of their ability. My guarantee as a
future educator will be that every student that I encounter receives free and appropriate education
in the least restrictive environment through universal monitoring and the application of
supportive interventions when necessary.
Language has the power to change lives but it is all too often being used to oppress
natural thought and communication. I believe that language is a true form of expression, in any
shape it takes. It is all too often that a difference in the way a student communicates, changes the
expectations that a teacher has for them. Though accommodations and modifications are
necessary and important parts of the classroom, a teacher’s expectations should never project a
negative notion of the student’s ability. Every child deserves to learn and a chance to be success
at their own rate and in their own way. As a literacy teacher, I strongly feel that understanding
and using the English language is a vital part of any child’s education, however, it should never
be taught or used to diminish a child’s natural or cultural form of communication. A strong
classroom community is a place where multicultural experiences are rich and frequent, and
language, spoken, written, or read, reflects the importance of respecting and encouraging others’
differences. I will incorporate and encourage students to read and write in genres, styles, and
conventions that are not just the standard English, in hopes to enlighten their overall
understanding of the power of language. I will also attempt to expose my students to various
cultures, languages, literature, and experiences through the use of technology, using this key
element of today’s society to deepen understanding.
 Overall, I believe that learning is a lifelong process and involves a back and forth
dialogue between student and teacher. Each teaches the other to grow and understand the world
in a new way. They work together to foster an atmosphere of acceptance, empathy, comfort,
confidence, creativity, and critical thinking. Throughout my classroom I will work to involve
teacher and student dialogue through conferences and meaningful discussions. Even further
implementing strategies such as turn and talks, expert groups, and literacy circles, I can ensure
that students understand the importance of collaborative learning and how knowledge is built
through peer relationships and student-teacher relationships. I believe there are many factors that
can drastically affect success, however ensuring that I am informed and reflective of my teaching
with each individual student will support an equitable classroom. Through the use of assessment,
evaluation, and observation informed teaching, I can keep on-going progress of students various
developmental growth in each developmental domain. With this information and record keeping,
I will guide the emotional, physical, social, intellectual, and cognitive development of every
student and together, work to achieve goals that will build a brighter future. As I teach lessons
that integrate information and connections across content I can deepen student learning and
incorporating skill development across domains I can further guide students in the domains
stated above. Education can be harmful when used to indirectly or directly hinder a student
because of any difference big or small is wrong. Shaping others minds to one way of thinking is
not education at all. In conclusion, as an educator I truly believe that a world that questions itself
learns to think and grow while a world that simply adapts and remains constant will never learn.