Educational Philosophy

Drianna Gordon

EDU 201
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When you are asked as a child what you want to be when you grow up, the answers is

usually something along the lines of astronaut, superhero or professional athlete. The first time

my parents asked me this question, I told them that I wanted to be a teacher, not a typical answer

from a five year old. Not once throughout my life has my career choice changed. Instead of

finding cons to becoming a teacher, I continued to find pros. I saw how terrible some teachers

could be, and seeing how some students get left in the dark with no support. I saw an opportunity

to impact students’ lives and help shape them.

Growing up, I found myself babysitting, tutoring and working in a child care. My

patience was a virtue and it is my strongest quality. Instead of focusing on weaker qualities

among children, I would find their strongest and use that to help with what they were struggling

with. I recently finished my Field Observation in a 4th grade classroom. It was a great experience

and I gained knowledge that I did not have before. I saw my cooperating teacher, Ms. Barall, use

different strategies when dealing with all kinds of students. I witnessed how crucial it is to

establish what kind of classroom you want on the first day of school. Ms. Barall had made it

known that she runs a no nonsense classroom on the first day of school. Three months later when

I met her and her students, that same policy was still being upheld. I now understand how

important it is to stick to your rules. I had the opportunity to sit in on meetings as well. The

relationships among the staff is another important piece to being a teacher. None of the 4th grade

teachers had great relationships with one another and you could feel that tension while they were

going over material with one another. Relationships are a key part of being a teacher, whether it

is with parents, students, other teachers or administration.

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When it comes to my teaching style, I see myself taking a progressive approach. I want to

learn from students as much as they learn from me. Sometimes I will need to take a step back

and really focus on how they are perceiving what I am teaching. A teacher is only as good as

their students. Their education reflects on how well I am able to teach them. I will also take the

constructivism approach. I want my students to learn hands on. Instead of straight out of the

textbook, I would like my lessons to come to life. These approaches will heavily impact my

teaching. Students who are minorities, do not deserve any different of an education than those

who aren’t. I want every student to come into my classroom knowing that they are important,

and no one will bully them.

When it comes to actually teaching a lesson, I believe in group based learning. I think

interaction among students is an essential component to their academic success. I also like the

idea of game-based learning. Playing a game with a reward at the end gets students excited to

learn the material. Competing among their classmates gives them an incentive to learn. Students

like to learn, but more so when it is fun. I will never let a student be excluded from any of these

activities. I will make the groups depending on their individual personalities and what I feel will

be a productive group. The students will be around those who make them a better students.

There is no book or class you can take to fully prepare you for your first year of teaching.

I will be taking every experience I gain throughout the next few years with me once I start

teaching. I hold patience very well when dealing with students and I will be using that daily. I do

need to learn how to manage different types of students. Whether it is a gifted student who

questions me or a child with behavioral issues. I am hoping to continue volunteering with my

Field Observation school. I would also like to have a year or two of substitute teaching
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experience. As well, I have another three semesters at CSN, then I will be transferring to UNLV

to continue my education. I understand that the process is not going to be easy, but I am willing

to work for it.