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Kelsey Kniesche
Dr. Kate McDougall
EDUC 5285 – Secondary Supervised Teaching Seminar
26 February 2018

Educational Philosophy

As in all aspects of life, educators can and should always seek to improve, grow,

and learn. I am no exception. I have always valued education and knowledge—this was

instilled in me at a young age. I believe that regardless of your field of work, your

strengths, and your interests you should always seek knowledge, even if that knowledge

seems to fall outside of those boundaries. All knowledge is related, and skills found

useful for one trait can surely translate to other aspects of one’s life. I have decided to

dedicate my life to working with students in an educational setting, particularly in the

sciences, because it is a dynamic, challenging, and exciting career where I am able to

actively take a role in shaping young lives. To have the opportunity to play a part in the

development of this desire to learn and discover is a responsibility I am honored to take

on as an educator. Along with this responsibility, I also have the duty to see to it that

each student feels safe, a healthy learning environment is established and maintained,

learning is supported through various techniques, and students develop the skills they will

need to be life-long learners and productive citizens.

At the core of my beliefs, I hold dear the characteristic of curiosity. Perhaps this

is one of the reasons that the content area of science has always interested me. Without

curiosity, the questions that may lead to life-changing, world-altering discoveries would
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never be asked. Answers would never be sought. We would live sad and unexplainable

lives. What would be the driving force to wake in the morning? What would life be

without the desire to look forward to the future and ponder the possibilities life holds?

As a curious individual, I realize this is not a trait everyone shares. But, if given the right

stimulation or circumstance, I believe curiosity can spark in anyone. It is my goal to

provoke such interest in my students and help them find their ability to question, predict,

and engage in the excitement that discovery holds.

Working with teenagers to develop this sense of curiosity and possibility is

challenging and dynamic. Their early teens is a time when psychologist Jean Piaget

would have argued that they are transitioning from the concrete operational stage, where

they are able to use logic, into the formal operational stage, where abstract thinking

develops. What better time to explore the field of science? Not only can they

hypothesize but they are also able to problem-solve and develop ways to test those

hypotheses. Leading them through this process and watching them develop and use these

skills on their own is exciting and rewarding. The manner and pace at which the students

will develop these skills differs, which makes the experience that much more engaging.

Supporting their individual learning styles—be it kinesthetic, visual, auditory, or

otherwise—is paramount in making their access to the content and learning equitably

accessible. Varying my instructional techniques, activities, and strategies will help

ensure engagement and support learning all-around.

Along the same lines, I understand the challenges that come with being a

teenager; my students are trying to not only survive the demands of school, their parents,

and their extracurricular activities but they are also trying to find their way on a personal
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and social level amongst their peers. Finding a place in the world is daunting, and they

will try on many different personalities before they figure out their authentic self. It is

critical that I always keep this front-of-mind; that when a student acts out or does

something out of character, I should give them the benefit of the doubt. Developing

relationships with my students so that I understand who they are, what their goals and

interests are, and how I can support them in the classroom and in life is a task I will never

take lightly.

Knowing my students will also help establish a good rapport with them and

support my ability to determine if something harmful is taking place. As a teacher, I am

not only responsible for teaching the standards set by the state in my content area, but I

am also obligated to report any harm I suspect or know is taking place to their well-being.

I am a mandated reporter and take my duties as such very seriously. A child should never

live in fear, and as an adult they spend a good deal of time with on a regular basis I am

responsible for protecting them and ensuring they are able to live a life outside of the

threat of harm.

Establishing relationships early, modeling active kindness, and creating a sense of

community and respect are ways in which I intent to build a sense of belonging and a safe

environment for my students. Involving their families in their successes and their

challenges will allow me to support my students holistically and not just in my

classroom. Setting course policies that are clear not only about my responsibilities to

them but their responsibilities to their peers and myself is critical at the start of each new

term. Academic and social honesty are a priority for me, and will be made clear to my

students. Being consistent in how I address behavioral and academic issues will show
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my students where my values lie and will provide them with clarity on what to expect if

they were to digress in a similar manner.

I am responsible for developing and maintaining a safe, equitable learning

environment where each student is given the chance to succeed. In order to ensure this, I

must determine where students are in their emotional and developmental process. Part of

this will come from my open communication with their families and support staff, other

teachers, and the students themselves and the other part will come from observation and

reflection on student performance in my classroom. Diagnosing each student’s needs and

determining their zone of proximal development will allow me to differentiate,

accommodate, and scaffold in order to plan my instruction for all students. Assessments

play a large role in this diagnosis; varying the type of assessment and form they take will

provide opportunities for different learners to demonstrate what they are capable of.

Ranging from diagnostic, formative, to summative assessments and from low to high

stakes are some of the types of tools I can use to better develop my sense of what they are

capable of. Finding assessments that don’t rely strictly on multiple choice can help me

develop a multidimensional view of their abilities, strengths, and areas of growth. By

supporting each student with what they need to learn, I can ensure they are engaged and

set up for a successful learning experience. Scaffolding and supporting my students

through the learning process will help create a learning environment where students feel

challenged and yet supported and, therefore, safe to explore and learn.

I will have no tolerance for bullying, as this will undermine the respect and safety

I will work to establish and maintain in my classroom. I care for all of my students, and

know that their emotional well-being can easily be undermined by ill-intended actions
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and words. I hope that my students will feel they can trust one another in my classroom

and can develop a sense of community and respect that extends beyond the four walls of

my room. Through modeling of respectful behavior and guiding them toward

compassion and understanding, I hope that my students will learn how to be well-

meaning citizens. It’s my role as their teacher to set them up for a productive and

meaningful life, not just teach them content to support the standards.

At the end of the day, I am their science teacher and science is what I love. I want

to take each student’s strengths and weaknesses, establish goals for them—goals we set

together—and support them in achieving those goals. My students should walk away

with the ability to think critically, read and draw conclusions, develop questions,

communicate their thoughts and opinions, support their claims with evidence, establish

cause and effect, think independently, collaborate and engage with their peers, and be

able to demonstrate their understanding of the academic learning goals. They will know

that they must put forward original work and be unwavering in their academic honesty, as

I will model these important concepts time and again for my students.

I want my classroom to be a safe environment where students look forward to

learning and interacting with one another on a daily basis. Through established policies,

healthy relationships, mutual respect, consistent action, mindful modeling, differentiated

learning opportunities, and a focus on the wonder that is science I hope to ignite curiosity

in my students and provide them the space where they can learn, grow, and develop as

young adults.
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As a new teacher I have many areas of my practice I want to work to develop and

perfect, which is something I believe will always be true throughout my career but is

especially apparent now. As a life-long learner, I am excited and not intimidated by this

opportunity. I am still developing my authentic style and voice in the classroom, trying

out the pedagogy strategies I have been learning about, reflecting on those experiences,

and revising for the future. With such a multi-dimensional job, it is a challenge juggling

it all. Developing engaging lessons, differentiating instruction to fit student needs,

supporting students in their learning, handling special circumstances and

accommodations, and tackling the stacks of grading are just a few of the aspects of

teaching that we juggle (and they often happen concurrently)! Developing the skills to

perform each at an optimal level and making those skills second nature are two areas I

look forward to improving as I progress through my career.

I am glad for my curiosity, as it will push me to continue to learn and explore in

both my content area and my pedagogy; I look forward to seeking new techniques and

experiences that will strengthen my instruction continually throughout my career. I have

much to look forward to and discover about my students and myself, and that is a

thrilling thought. By staying true to my beliefs, I will model the behavior I expect from

my students. I will work thoroughly to look after the safety of my students, establish a

healthy learning environment, support life-long learning, and provide opportunities for

my students to develop the skills that will serve them well throughout life.