Running Head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Personal Teaching Philosophy

Amanda Clay

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Fall 2019

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Personal Teaching Philosophy

As an educator, it is important to have a personal philosophy of teaching set in place.

This becomes the standard by which you do everything as a teacher. It informs every decision

you make and every step you take in your teaching career. It essentially makes you who you are

as a teacher.

My personal philosophy of teaching comes from creating a safe and inviting learning

environment for students to flourish. When the students feel safe in the classroom, they are more

willing to open up to you as a teacher. This goes to my next point of developing relationships

with the students. Getting to know a student’s likes and hobbies outside of the classroom makes

them feel valued and important. That is why this is an important aspect to my classroom

philosophy. I find that creating an inviting classroom can simply start by being sure to

individually greet each student as they come in that day, whether it be with a hug or some other

form of kind words. This makes the student feel like they are entering a safe place that is there

for them to thrive and learn. An inviting and safe classroom is so important because this is the

first requirement for a student to flourish. If they are not comfortable, they will not open their

self up enough to listen, learn, or grow as a student.

Individualized learning is a big aspect of my teaching philosophy. It is important to cater

to the needs of all of your students, especially in their patterns of learning. This is usually known

as differentiation; however, I think working in smaller groups to teach lessons is more effective

than differentiating one large class lecture to cater to each individual student. When students are

grouped according to learning style or their ability to learn, then, as an educator, you can have

three different lessons that accommodate each individual group. When you group the students

this way, the other groups can do things that are related to and supplemental to the learning that
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each individual group is getting from the teacher. This enables students to solve problems and

show growth mindset through their learning. This also gives students the opportunity to be in

charge of their own learning, shows them the power of perseverance, and allows them to

implement learning new skills throughout the day.

As a Christian, my teaching philosophy is different from that of a secular educator. My

faith informs me that my mission in this life is to tell others about Jesus and what he has done for

me in my life. While it is not always permissible to speak of my faith so blatantly, John 13:31-35

explains that others will know I am of Christ by how I love. This is how my faith will affect my

teaching philosophy. As a teacher, I will often come across students who need more than

someone teach them spelling, writing, or math. At some point, a student will need an adult who

they know genuinely cares about their well being. I feel it is important to love the students that

are entrusted to my care every weekday.

My faith may manifest itself through acts like showing grace on late assignments and

giving second chances for better grades. However, it will most definitely manifest itself in

classroom management. I have learned through my time student teaching that, most frequently,

when a student misbehaves in class, it can be directly linked to their home life. These students

may not have parents who care about their grades. These students may come to school hungry.

These students may not even have someone at home who tells them and shows them that they

love them. For those students, it is my calling to show the care and love of Christ to that student.

That may mean that a student needs a personal conversation of encouragement and reminding of

their potential rather than firm reinforcement in front of the rest of the class. Each student needs

to feel comfortable, safe, loved, and cared for in my classroom. I believe that that is the only way
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that teachers can ensure that a student flourishes in their educational career and has the best

opportunities to learn and grow as individuals.