Philosophy Statement Education is much more than academic curriculum and occurs in other places outside of the school

walls. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, Intelligence plus characterthat is the goal of true education. A true education teaches more than basic curriculum. A true education teaches a child strong work ethic, character, and morals. Teachers are responsible for teaching and modeling these essential qualities, along with trust, responsibility, respect, fairness, and good citizenship. I believe that students who possess these characteristics on top of their academics have reached the goal of true education. In addition to teaching and modeling these social qualities, teachers must also set a good example and remain a positive influence for students. The teacher must act as a motivator to encourage each student to strive to reach his or her maximum potential. Teachers must be reliable, trustworthy, and fair, and must maintain a calm, safe educational environment. A genuine teacher truly cares about the success of each individual student and aims to make each day better than the previous. My motivation and passion to become an educator stems from my desire to provide a true education to each student. Not only do I want to teach content, but I also want to teach and model the essential social qualities of life and act as a role model to my students. The natures and needs of students will always be on an individual basis because the personality and learning styles will always vary among students. The most important knowledge a teacher must possess is recognizing which instructional methods work best for which students. Because each individual is different, recognizing these specialized needs will greatly benefit each student and help all students reach their maximum potential. I believe that it is important that teachers are aware of the vast array of learning styles and intelligences. Educators must thoroughly know the material and how to appropriately present it to the age group being taught.

Students better comprehend material when it is related to their developmental stage, directly aligned to their level of thinking and understanding. It is the teachers responsibility to accommodate to various learning styles. Teachers must effectively balance instruction to meet auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. Multiple approaches are necessary to ensure students are learning in their least restrictive environment. Modeling is a crucial component to the daily lesson. Modeling sets the tone for the lesson and helps develop the essential skills needed to succeed in the lesson. Effective teachers have excellent modeling skills and a successful classroom. Experimentation is the best way to learn which learning styles best accommodate a specific group of students. There are many different teaching styles and strategies, and sometimes many combinations are needed to best reach a group of students with varying levels of ability. I believe that the use of manipulatives, hands-on learning, and student involvement are key measures to effective teaching. Technology is extremely significant in the future of education. While many older teachers are anti-technology, I embrace it with open arms. When utilized correctly, technology can provide endless possibilities to enrich the educational field and act as an irreplaceable educational supplement. Nowadays, students are so tech savvy and intrigued by any type of technology. Any time the teacher can incorporate technology into the lesson, students are more apt to be engaged because they are interested in the content at hand. Smart boards, document cameras, mobile smart pads, iPads, and clickers are the future classroom technology. I plan to effectively utilize each of those sources to provide a panoramic technological supplement to the content being presented.

I want to become an educator to make a difference in the lives of my students and foster lifelong learning. I want my students to be comfortable confiding in me and to be able to count on me to act as a role model. I want to be able to witness the individual progress and success of my students by motivating and guiding my students throughout their academic journey. Witnessing the success of my students will let me know that I have made a difference in their lives, which will let me know I am doing my job correctly. Teaching will also provide numerous lifelong learning experiences for me as an educator. My knowledge will build on a daily basis as I gain experience as an educator, role model, and colleague. Respect should be modeled and expected at all times. Students will be more respectful to their teacher when they are given respect. Classroom management is one of the keys to an effective education environment and establishes the course of action for how the classroom operates. How the teacher manages the classroom sets the tone for the educational atmosphere. Student progress and success will improve when teachers motivate and encourage through effective classroom management. Key issues in classroom management include teacher-student relationships, layout of the classroom, rules and procedures, and working with high needs students of varying abilities. In 1937, John Dewey wrote, Our public school system was founded in the name of equity of opportunity for all, independent of birth, economic status, race, creed, or color. Our society is devoted to democratic ideals, meaning all students should benefit from the equal opportunity for education. The United States guarantees each student the entitlement to a free and appropriate public education that prepares students for democratic life. As an educator, I will have the responsibility to address the individual and diverse needs of each student. I strongly believe in the importance of understanding the different diversity factors that can reflect on a

students academic performance, including gender, race, ethnicity, social class, and religion. Students should never be discriminated against or treated unfairly due to these different diversity factors. Teachers must model how to accept, respect, appreciate, and promote these diverse differences and promote good citizenship. Careers in education should be chosen for holistic values. Education is a very important field because educators are one of the main leaders a student has throughout his or her academic journey. Teachers not only teach curriculum, but also help students develop key social skills and values. Effective teachers help a larger number of students succeed than teachers who are just in it for the tangible benefits. It is imperative for teachers to teach for the intrinsic rewards, like the desire to help others, rather than extrinsic rewards, like the salary or schedule. Teaching for extrinsic fulfillment results in poor performance and an overall lower quality job. I want to make a lasting, positive impression on my students and be remembered as a terrific teacher. I think it is important to be understanding, compassionate, helpful, and respectful to each student. I want to be remembered as a fun teacher who maintained a classroom where students actually learned and enjoyed learning. My number one career goal is to be the best teacher I can possibly be and to make a difference in the lives of my students.