Philosophy of Education

We all have different memories of our childhood and were raised differently. This isn't

necessarily a bad thing. It’s what makes us all individuals and helps us choose different

paths through life. I wanted to be an actress when I was very young because I would

watch tv in the mornings with my grandma when I was living in Mexico. I admired how

beautiful all the women were and how talented they were, making yourself fake cry isn’t

easy. We didn’t have many luxurious items but we always had food on the table. After

my mom made a choice to move to the United States, my whole mindset shifted. I was

left to live in Mexico with my beloved grandma for a year and although I missed my mom

so much, my tears were real not a fake cry like they do in the Spanish soap-operas. I

moved to Las Vegas in 1999 to live with my mom and stepdad. I started a new school

where everyone spoke English. My second-grade teachers didn’t speak Spanish but they

tried to communicate with me and help me as much as they could with my classwork.

This inspired me to think about how many other students out there need the same help

that I require as a second-grader. Bilingual teachers are in short supply. Experiencing the

need for extra help, someone to translate and guide me in the right direction at school

opened my eyes to a new career path. I’m leaning towards progressivism as a philosophy

because it gives students “hands on” experience that they need. I feel like I would be

more of a behaviorist/humanist kind of teacher. Kids like to be recognized when they do

something good or get something right and I will be that teacher to reward them. They

also need to have personal freedom and self-actualization. Now that I know more about

how students learn and the disabilities that make it a little difficult for others, it
encourages me even more to become a teacher. I hope to teach my students how to

treat others kindly, respect their elders, and be honest citizens. I’m expecting to have a

diverse classroom and I will make sure my students know that it’s okay to be bicultural

and come from different countries. One thing I disliked about some teachers was that

they would talk down and belittle their students, that won’t ever be the case in my

classroom. We all know students are going to behave differently but I will prepare to

deal with them in a considerate manner and try to see why they acted the way they did.

Clark County is short on bilingual teachers and they don't offer certain programs to help

students that don't speak English. When I was in school there was a special teacher I

would see sometimes for about an hour and she would test my knowledge. When I did

my hours at M.J. Christensen , I learned a lot about the programs they currently have

and the ones they got rid of. Assessment is a big part of moving on up to the next grade

level. Clark County has lots of standardized tests which are definitely necessary but I will

also be doing informal assessments to understand how I can teach them better. Right

now a lot of businesses have closed due to the coronavirus pandemic so we can’t work

or travel but once everything opens back up I’ll begin working and saving up more

money so I can get through my two years at CSN and then transfer to UNLV where I’ll

be getting my bachelors in Elementary Education. A dream of mine has always been to

teach at MJ Elementary School, where I attended school and did my field observation.

While I was volunteering there, the principal and the teacher I was with, invited me to

come back and keep volunteering. I plan on doing that until I get my teaching license.