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Philosophy Statement

The Philosophy Goal is as follows: A teacher can describe the teacher’s philosophy of

education and demonstrate its relationship to the teacher’s practice. The project selected to

represent this goal is my personal Teaching Philosophy. This project explores my initial teaching

philosophy from the beginning of the Master’s of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. Throughout

the program my philosophy has morphed into a working philosophy, as I have had practicum

courses, and student taught in kindergarten. “A principle or philosophy is only truly valuable if it

is actually applied effectively” (Ferris, 2014). My philosophy has expanded to encompass a

variety of techniques from literature reviews, and practical experiences.

As a pre-service educator, I have been humbled through my experiences thus far in the

classroom. My ideas of how I think a classroom ‘should’ be managed have completely changed

after entering into different classrooms. “Philosophy helps us to be interested in personal beliefs

and values, understand who we are and the reason of our existence and to some extent where we

go” (Saritas, 2016). Creating and expanding my views for the classroom has been a journey.

“Teaching reflection is a critical way to promote teachers' development. By reflecting, teachers

can find out the teaching problems, check their teaching behaviors and improve their teaching

ability” (Wang, 2018). I have a passion for learning and I want to pass the love of learning, and

the desire to be lifelong learners to my students.

Presented in my teaching philosophy, I reference the works of Vygosky and

Bronfenbrenner for their abilities to stretch the minds of students and connect them to their

families, their school, their community and their environments. These important theories underlie

the basis of my philosophy; it’s all about making the necessary connections. “Educational

philosophy studies the theoretical bases on which the available educational practices are based,
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and criticize them” (Saritas, 2016). Vygosky presents the idea of stretching students to the edge

of their zone of proximal development, during student teaching I was able to witness how the

host teacher took her advanced kindergarteners and challenged them with first grade material.

The community often is involved with our school, with the benefit that educators can incorporate

the values and esthetics of the community into the culture of the classroom.

The semester of student teaching elevated my experiences with teaching and assisting

students with a wide range of abilities. The challenges of working with a variety of students led

to critical thinking of how to evaluate my philosophy, designing lessons and adapting procedures

to accommodate all students. “If it is accurate, the [Teaching Philosophy Statement] TPS

provides students with a valid preview of how their teacher intends to meet the course learning

objectives. Sharing the TPS might also help to personalize the teacher, create a bond between

students and teacher, and encourage a sense of community” (Brinthaupt, 2014). Transparency is

a critical element to successful relationships between the students, parents, families and the

community, of the elements of classroom functions and how the students learn.

The past few years of working in a school has brought many realizations: all students

have unique needs and desires; educations is not the same as it was when I went to school; and

the opportunities that are presented for students in this day and age are spectacular. “An

interesting, creative, and caring teacher's philosophy statement does not come from thin air; it

evolves from a range of reflections and insights about students and the learning process” (Pike,

Bradley & Mansfield, 1997). Philosophy, much like professionalism, is not as effective or

efficient when studied out of books alone. As my father has reminded me: life is about the

experiences and the stories. I’m experiencing more everyday with students that will help shape

my philosophy for years to come.

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References

Brinthaupt, T. (2014). Using a Student-Directed Teaching Philosophy Statement to Assess and

Improve One’s Teaching. Journal of Faculty Development, 28(3), 23. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edo&AN=98249449&site=eds-live

Ferris, D. R. (2014). Responding to student writing: Teachers’ philosophies and

practices. Assessing Writing, 19, 6–23. https://doi-

org.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/10.1016/j.asw.2013.09.004

Pike, B., Bradley, F., & Mansfield, J. (1997). Philosophy of Teaching: Developing a Statement

That Thrives in the Classroom. The Clearing House, 70(3), 125. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.30189265&site=eds-live

Saritas, E. (2016). Relationship between Philosophical Preferences of Classroom Teachers and

Their Teaching Styles. Educational Research and Reviews, 11(16), 1533–1541. Retrieved

from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1111496&site=eds-live

Wang, L. (2018). On the Content of the Pre-service Teachers’ Teaching Reflection in the

Practicum. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, (9), 1195. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsgcl.556572180&site=eds-live