My Philosophy of Teaching

I strongly believe that teaching is empowering! As teachers it is our responsibility

to become strong advocates for our students, and encourage their learning through the
development of positive, meaningful relationships. I believe that it is our duty as
educators to develop independence and confidence by teaching students responsibility,
social justice, and leadership skills. Through this approach teachers can focus on the
individual potential and ability of a student, and encourage their growth through the
development of real skills. As a pre-service teacher specializing in Inclusive Education, I
am a strong advocate for the inclusion of coded students into the mainstream school
system. Through the inclusion of students with special needs, educators can end the
perpetuation of negative stereotypes surrounding the special needs community by
recognizing that students with special needs are capable of learning and becoming coconstructors of knowledge.

As a future educator I envision a classroom community where group work is

encouraged, and students learn how to effectively work together as a team. In this
classroom community students will not be ridiculed for their mistakes, and creativity and
innovation will be celebrated. In addition, I envision a classroom where students can be
physically active, technologically savvy, and engage the curriculum through multiple
means of representation. I think that it is extremely important for educators to provide
students with a diverse array of resources, and classroom supports in order to ensure their
success. In addition, I think that students learn best when teachers are passionate about
their job and are fully engaged in classroom activities. Through active teacher

participation and the role modeling of positive behaviors, teachers are able to increase the
engagement level of their students, and get them excited about learning. Furthermore, I
think that it is extremely important to foster critical thinking skills through the inclusion
of inquiry based learning and social justice in the classroom.

In regards to professional development, I think that it is important for teachers to

actively seek out new resources and technologies to incorporate into lesson design, and
adopt a life long learning approach to teaching. This can be achieved through the
construction of a professional Community of Practice, as well as through participation in
a variety of teaching seminars and conferences throughout each school year. In addition, I
think that it is very important for teachers to be aware of changes to curriculum, as well
as important social, political, and global issues that affect teaching.