1.

A teacher can describe the teacher’s philosophy of education and demonstrate its

relationship to the teacher’s practice.

It’s been more than five years since I put my teaching philosophy on paper and rereading

it now, with a few years of experience, I’m proud of it. When getting started in the MAT

program, I felt like I had to turn down the volume on my heart and be more cerebral, this was not

the result of anyone telling me to do so, but this idea that I needed to be more academic going

forward because this was going to be my profession. But here’s the thing, that is not me. I

became a teacher because for the first five years of my education I went to school every day

excited to see the women who loved me, believed in me, and supported me. Mrs. Schrieber,

Mrs. Morehouse, Miss Larsen, Miss Rongish, and Mrs. Hildreth changed my life and showed me

that I had the power to do the same for others. The highlights of my career thus far have not

been teaching students to read, but seeing how reading has changed a student’s world, not an

effective STEM lesson I created, but seeing a student make mistakes and simply try again. For

me it is emotional, it is about my passion for showing kids their worth and potential, and it is all

about being there for my students in whatever capacity they need.

I’ve worked for the Aleutian Region School District for eight years now, and every year

we choose a book for our professional development course. I’ve never met a book I didn’t like

or learn from, but I certainly have found that I gravitate more towards the narratives and those

that pose questions and require self-reflection. One specific question that really speaks to me

and my teaching philosophy is “Where will my students be 10 years from now as a result of

having me as their teacher?” (Kafele, 2016) This is so important to me, not that I need them to

remember my name, but that they remember how I made them feel. I want them to believe in

their value, their intelligence, and their potential even when I’m ten years removed from them. I
think an important lesson I’ve learned in the last few years is the importance of believing in what

a student is capable of becoming in the future and doing the work daily in my classroom to make

sure they believe it too.

Reading Among Schoolchildren, really made me think about the beauty, heartbreak, and

challenge of a difficult student. This book is about a seasoned fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Zajac,

and follows her through an entire school year. She has a student named Clarence who comes

from a troubled home and struggles in every aspect of his school day. Behaviorally,

academically, and emotionally this boy is a challenge, and yet you love him, you root for him,

and your heart aches when he is sent to an alternative school. I don’t envy Mrs. Zajac the job of

educating him, but I do yearn for a chance to help him, to be someone in his life that believes and

supports him the way every student deserves. It’s not because I have the answers or even that I

think I could do a better job than his previous teachers, but because I will always want a shot at

being the educator a student needs. I get it wrong all the time, but I don’t give up and I think

that’s the greatest lesson I can impart on my students. So, there are parts to my philosophy that

aren’t perfect, but they are still all me and I’m proud of that and the fact I haven’t changed much

after eight years as an educator. I still search out the best in my students and expect the best

from them. This is the hardest job I can imagine, but it’s the one I was made to do, and I’m

forever grateful.

References
Kafele, B. K. (2016). The Teacher 50: Critical Questions for Inspiring Classroom Excellence.
Alexandria: ASCD.
Perrone, V. (1991). A Letter to Teachers. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Slavin, R. E. (2012). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. Pearson Education, Inc.
 A teaching philosophy to me is a large number of multi-syllabic words strung together,

with great intentions and little real life applications. They are profound and academic, and to be

quite honest, I’m not sure I am either of those things. I’m going to try and explain my

philosophy in a way that is as simple as my love for this profession. I thought this paper would

be the easiest to write because it can be truly me: my emotions, goals, and love for the job I feel

blessed to do every day. However, it has proven to be the most difficult, because it is so personal

and nearly impossible to articulate accurately how I hope to do this job when it brings up so

much emotion for me. Here is my attempt to put into words, why I walk into my classroom

every morning with a smile on my face, genuine gratitude in my heart, and the education of each

and every student on my mind.

First and foremost, a classroom should be safe by every definition. I hope to provide a

place of physical safety, surrounded by people who genuinely care that every student’s basic

needs are met and who they are is of great importance. A room that allows students to feel safe

to succeed and fail, to stumble and thrive, and to see the knowledge that comes from both is a

fundamental goal. As an elementary teacher it is my responsibility to start the foundation of a

student’s desire to learn that they will carry with them forever. It is imperative to role model for

students the belief that learning is a never-ending process and knowledge is a powerful reward.

Finally, I believe it is my duty and humbling honor to instill in students kindness, empathy, and

acceptance of others.

Teaching is about reaching every student, meeting every child’s learning needs and

Cognitive Development goes a long way to helping educators understand on what level they

should approach these needs. When creating lesson plans it is essential that you consider your

audience and their cognitive level, not only when considering the duration of the lesson, but also
the amount of information you expect students to retain. You must be willing to modify

curriculum and delivery based on what students are able to comprehend. I think it is also

important to celebrate these stages, there is something so wonderfully simple about the way a

child views the world and they shouldn’t necessarily be “taught” into thinking differently.

Meeting a child at their level and guiding them towards the desired outcome is essential to

teaching but so is allowing a child to teach you.

I must admit sometimes terminology raises my anxiety, psychosocial crisis for example.

It is defined by Erikson as the set of critical issues that individuals must address as they pass

through each of the eight life stages. (Slavin, 2012) The word crisis to me has such negative

connotations and while not coming to terms with these stages may result in crisis, it would be my

hope that natural progression and strong adult influence, in the form of parents, teachers, would

help a child to avoid the crisis. The stages themselves, however, seem not only to have common

sense but be profound at the same time. Specifically Stage IV, ages 6 to 12, and the beginning of

school for children. The power of a child’s sense of self-image and importance of feeling

successful in school is profound and on the other end of the spectrum their sense of failure

leading to negative self-image makes sense. It simply reminds me of the necessity and learning

opportunities presented in both cases, the ability to use both success and failure as “teachable

moments” and create an environment where failure is accepted as a means for learning.

A big part of learning is the environment in which it occurs. Creating a place where

students feel safe but also one that has minimal distractions. Learning is all about experience

and I hope to provide students with a multitude of engaging experiences in and out of the

classroom. I think it is important when trying to reach students that teachers use numerous

methods for providing that experience.

 I believe motivation in the classroom begins with the teacher. High expectations for

students is vital to instilling in them their ability and need to succeed. Role modeling the desire

to learn and the rewards that come with knowledge is important in helping students develop an

intrinsic motivation for learning. I think parents are also a key component to motivating

students. An open dialogue with students and their parents allows for communication about

what is expected of them and our belief that they are more than capable of achieving their goals.

Motivation, ultimately, comes down to the student’s belief in themselves and the support of

parents and teachers. I believe creating an environment that celebrates every child and their

victories, no matter how small, will help each student to find success.

Effective teaching means using many strategies in order to meet the needs of every

student, I very much believe the same principal needs to be used when talking about effective

assessment. There is no one correct way to teach students and there is no one way to assess

them. While I do believe it is necessary to create, as Slavin described it, a type of map in order

to realize when teaching strategies are effective and when they are not, I think it needs to be

flexible and open to modification as the teacher sees fit. (Slavin, 2012) I no longer see

evaluation and assessment as being stifling or overly critical, but instead a way of monitoring

progress and the effectiveness of my teaching strategies. Standards and assessments need to be

seen as more of a resource, one more opportunity to help meet the needs of all students. I think it

is important that from a very young age we instill in students that assessment is a chance for

them to show us what they have learned, not what they haven’t and as Perrone so eloquently

states “that our ongoing interest is in students’ best work.” (Perrone, 1991)

Classroom instruction should vary, keeping the educator and students engaged. I think

direct instruction is a wonderful way to connect with students and a very powerful teaching
strategy. It may not suit the needs of every student and so it is vital to be flexible and constantly

aware of its impact, but I think when the subject matter is presented in a way that is engaging and

fun, it will reach most students. I believe another powerful strategy is cooperative learning. I

have seen firsthand the influential effect students have on each other when working in a group

and how positive of an experience it can be for them. I believe Vygotsky’s theory that students

benefit from sharing their inner speech. (Slavin, 2012) There is nothing more rewarding than

silently monitoring young students as they discuss a mutual problem and through their combined

rationales solve it.

There is no perfect instruction, I willingly admit I do not have all of the answers and I

think this is exactly how education should be approached. Effective teaching is a process of trial

and error that demands you never give up. I believe it is essential for an effective teacher to

always be open to new strategies of instruction while never lowering expectations for students.

Upon arriving in Korea for my first teaching job the most common advice I was given

was “Go in hard, you can ease up later.” Not having a personal teaching style that I was aware

of I heeded this advice and went in hard, almost like a warden, quick to reprimand and discipline

students. I hated it. I very quickly learned that I did have a teaching style of my own, one of

humor and care for the individual. Every teacher I have had that affected who I am as a person

now in some way, great or small, showed concern and care for me as a person, outside of the

classroom and in. The teacher I want to be is one who knows “diaper” will get a laugh from

anyone under the age of ten and who asks questions and listens intently to the answers. I love

nothing more than on a Monday morning asking a student what they did over the weekend and

seeing their eyes light up at the fact I’m actually really interested in their answer. I very firmly
believe that raising a child takes a village and as a teacher, I’m an integral part of that process

and humbly accept the privilege.

Some of the challenges of student diversity are creating an environment that is inclusive

for everyone, adding to a child’s sense of culture instead of taking away, giving each student the

same opportunity and being cognizant of the power of my words. Student diversity is a huge

opportunity to introduce students to enormity of the world and inspire them to think in terms of

what role they want to have in it. Embracing diversity forms a generation of human beings who

are empathetic to others and curious about other cultures different from their own.

Diversity should be presented in a way that is inclusive and celebratory. Students should

see a reflection of themselves in the classroom and curriculum. Open communication about

what makes people unique and the pride that should be felt because of those qualities, not

embarrassment. Diversity takes all forms in the classroom and each one of these forms is an

opportunity for learning. Every classroom is an opportunity to build unity amongst students that

includes acceptance of each other’s cultural beliefs. As their teacher role modeling my interest

in their culture by accepting invitations to celebrations and getting involved in community

activities that reflect their traditions.

Ultimately, I feel teaching is a privilege, one I hope to never take for granted. I believe it

requires teachers to be optimistic and believe that we have the power to make a positive

difference in the lives of students. I know my philosophies and practices will change and I not

only embrace but look forward to it. I believe that as long as the student is the focus, the teacher

will be effective.