Ashley Schirmer EDUC 260 Instructor: Karla Henderson November 15, 2013

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching should be about lifelong learning. Teachers should constantly evolve and incorporate new knowledge, theories, and techniques into their instruction. I will dedicate myself to lifelong learning and model the desire to learn to my students. I want to instill a love of learning in my students. I want students to appreciate that learning should occur not only in the classroom but during the course of their daily lives. Creating connections in students learning will encourage them to continue to learn and make learning a more meaningful experience. Through my teaching I will always model what I expect from the students. I will not ask for something that I dont expect from myself. I will demonstrate the importance of working hard, because there are no short-cuts to success. Being compassionate, patient, organized, understanding, and open minded are a few of the qualities I possess and will encourage from my students. Creating a safe and caring environment is of great importance to me. I want to create an environment where each student understands that I genuinely care about them. I want students to be able to learn and grow in a classroom that will respect their opinions and ideas. Everyones opinion will be noticed and respected. I place significant importance on differentiation, where each child is unique and learns in a variety of ways. I will take into account the individuality of all students. In my opinion, each child retains information differently, in a way that is unique to each student. Highly effective teachers should be able to use a variety of methods in their instruction to better meet the needs of each student. I will utilize scaffolding to tailor each lesson to the needs of the student. I will also use group lessons to provide appropriate levels of challenge for all students, whether they are behind, advanced, or right in the middle. Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligence Theory supports seven different ways in which information is obtained: Linguistic, LogicalMathematical, Musical, Bodily-Kinesthetically, Spatial, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal. The

Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic model provides three ways in which students retain information. I will incorporate both of these methods in my instruction so that each student can understand the information and apply it in his/her own life. Jean Piaget is another philosopher who has impacted my teaching style. He understood the need for presenting children with real-world experiences and challenging them with open-ended questions and activities that force them to think critically, past defined answers. This encourages children to be insightful and think abstractly, helping them grow in their understanding. Just as students must be taught with a variety of methods, they should have a variety of assessment techniques. In order for students to show their capabilities, multiple assessments should be used to monitor their progress in every area. Assessments should reinforce what is being taught, but shouldnt only be done through paper and pencil tests. Sometimes this only shows memorization. To assess whether knowledge is being attained, students should also apply that knowledge using different methods of assessment, such as presentations, debates, performances and projects. Albert Einstein said, It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge (Einstein, 2013). This quote summarizes my teaching philosophy. I hope to instill a love and appreciation of learning to each student I teach.

References Einstein, A. (2013, November 15). Albert Einstein Quotes. Retrieved from Brainyquote.com: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins122147.html