The Lifelong Learner: My Teaching Philosophy Children, like rosebuds, bloom at different times.

However, the last bloom is just as pretty as the first Besty Rogers. Students are individuals. As a teacher I will see the value in each individual I teach and recognize what makes them unique. Individuals learn through different methods, at different paces, and have different interests. I will address my students by name and be sure to offer encouragement on a daily basis. I will take interest in my students extracurricular activities and note their accomplishments not only within the classroom but also within the community. Getting to know my students from day one, and building relationships throughout the year with each of them will allow me to understand not only who they are as individuals but how I can relate my teachings to their personal interests as a way to enhance their understanding of various aspects of the curriculum. Understanding that students will grasp concepts at different times, I will have a differentiated lesson plan considering students who finish faster than their classmates, and students who finish slower than their classmates. These are just a few strategies that I will implement in my classroom to ensure that all students bloom in a way that is best for them. You have to vary how you teach things to kids. You need to have that ability to stand up, move around, sing, dance. Thats important. Pascale Creek Pinner. I will teach my class through hands on activities and student collaboration. Growing up in a 4-H club I was introduced at an early age to the motto Learn to do by Doing and I am convinced that there is truth in the expression. I will teach my students in a variety of ways that address the different multiple intelligences and will work at creatively engaging all members of my classroom through activities such as hands on activities, class projects, group work, and individual work. Students will not be expected to work individually at all times, rather through collaboration with others what better way to gain new perspectives and better understand a concept than by teaming up with fellow students. As a teacher, I will not be restricted to a chair behind a desk or stand behind a podium, I will be on the move and if necessary, singing and dancing to ensure that my students and enjoying what they are learning in a fun, engaging atmosphere. In reality, our schools are just empty, impersonal places. It is the students, the teachers, and the principals who bring them to life and give them an identity Philip Bigler. Establishing a positive environment for learning is something that will be done through creating procedures collaboratively with my students. Everyone deserves a positive, safe, learning environment and it is the students and teacher who have the power to create this atmosphere. Through brainstorming classroom procedures with the students, they will take ownership over their ideas and feel that rules are not being pushed on them, rather that they are choosing to behave in a particular way, benefitting both them and their classmates. This process also gives students opportunity to address ideas that they feel would make the classroom a safe and fun environment to be a part of. Together, as the people who bring the school to life, students along with teachers and staff will establish an identity for our school environment that is pleasing and beneficial for all who are a part of it.

Being a teacher means that you share your knowledge with others and learn from as many experiences as you can so that you can continue to be a lifelong learner yourself Pascale Creek Pinner. As a teacher I feel that it is not only important for me to develop lifelong learning in my students, but also to continue being a lifelong learner myself. I will develop relationships within my school (PLCs) and community that allow me to learn and grow as a teacher. Just as I feel collaboration is crucial to a students education, I feel that collaboration with other teachers, parents, and community members will enhance my ability to teach. Giving my students the freedom to express themselves creatively and watching them collaborate with their peers will allow me to learn from them on a daily basis. Children are very inspirational and they can teach you unimaginable lessons through seemingly small, insignificant actions or words. At no point in my teaching career will I feel that there is nothing left to learn, I will constantly be learning along with, and from my students. In a career such as teaching, it is impossible to prevent learning, I am destined to help others learn and as a result I must continue to learn and develop ways to enable my students to learn new things. Learning and teaching are a packaged deal, teaching cannot happen effectively without continuous learning. Children are like wet cement, whatever falls on them makes an impression Haim Ginott. Children are incredibly impressionable, especially when they are in elementary school. As a teacher I will be very conscious of my words and actions and model the expectations I have of my students. If I expect my students to do independent reading, I too will do independent reading, if I expect them to treat others with respect, I shall do the same. As a teacher I want my students to understand that there are reasons I have the expectations of them that I do some being that I want to enhance their learning, develop their character, and prepare them for the future. If I do not place the same expectations on myself, I am suggesting that I no longer need to learn, that my character needs no development, and that I am fully prepared for whatever comes my way this is clearly not the case. As a teacher, I will be one of the few adults that my students are exposed to on a daily basis. I think it is important that I set a good example and be someone that my students aspire to be like. When I am a teacher I will ensure that whatever impressions I make in the cement are ones that I am ok with being imprinted forever. Indeed, the exciting thing about a philosophy of education is that it is always changing and growing Brittany E. Ray. Teaching philosophies are constantly changing with new learnings and experiences. As teachers are constantly learning and developing, so too should their philosophies. Where I have yet to have my own classroom and my experience revolves around what I hope I can be in the classroom, it will be no surprise to me if my philosophy a few years down the road is entirely different than what it reads today. Our experiences allow us to change and grow as people, with this, our philosophy of education will also have potential to change and develop over time. Years from now, I look forward to looking back to this edition of my teaching philosophy and compare it to the many editions to follow - creating a new and improved version of myself with each one.