My Philosophy

Being an educator is my dream job. I love learning myself as well as seeing the look on

student’s faces when they actually understand the material being taught to them. I first became

interested in this profession in the 3rd grade. I had an amazing teacher named Mr. Sankuer. He

taught so passionately and was very patient with me. His actions showed me that he really cared

and that encouraged me to want to do the same for another. When starting this course I was

really excited to be in a classroom. I actually got to observe at my elementary school that I went

to. At the end of the day I left the classroom smiling from ear to ear, knowing that teaching was

exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I believe that I have what it takes to be a great

educator. Some knowledge and skill sets that I’ve obtained over the course of my Associates

Degree are the different teaching methods that I’ve learned. I know that not everyone learns at

the same pace or at the same tactics. In order to reach a majority of my students I would try and

combine different methods to ensure that my students are engaged and truly understanding the

material given to them. With all this being said, I know that my students are only part of the job.

When interviewing my teacher that I was observing, Mrs. Morrill she talked about the behind the

scenes part. And what happens within the school system. From what I understand it’s a lot of

paperwork and making sure the school is meeting their goals. I understand that it’s going to be

hard work because we also have to deal with parents and making sure we’re teaching the

students the correct way by the books. I for one am ready for the challenge and cannot wait to

become a real teacher.

Going into teaching, I know that there will be certain ways that I will teach that will

come easier for me. One of them being my teaching philosophy, which is Perennialism. This

teaching philosophy means that I believe that teaching should be on principles and not on facts. I
found that this method is also known as the Universal Curriculum. This method allows me to

teach on truth being represented as a constant in my classroom and help enhance my students so

that they can focus on the highest level of knowledge in whatever field they choose to pursue.

Another way that I would go about running my classroom is called Behaviorism. Behaviorism is

the principle of conditioning student behavior with various types of behavior reinforcements and

consequences. This is also called operant conditioning. I know that when I was in school I was

always encouraged to do better through prizes or play money. And when I misbehaved I received

a punishment. I definitely remember being disappointed in myself and I felt like I let my parents

down as well when I misbehaved. Because this was the way I was taught it comes naturally for

me to want to do the same because it worked for me. This alone would definitely encourage me

to incorporate this into my teaching method and what I plan on doing. While preparing myself to

be an educator I had to study what happened in the past to get a real feel of how to educate now.

I found that all the passing laws about special education fascinating. I love how they provide

resources so that those who have special needs are accommodated. I also appreciate that they are

trying to integrate them in regular classrooms so that they get the same treatment. This is

something that I will keep in mind when teaching if I have any students with a disability.

As a teacher you must have some strategies when going about your day with your

students. I believe that as an educator I would implement rules that everyone agrees on. That way

they feel included and feel comfortable talking and correcting their peers. I would also

implement a reward system where if they complete an assignment or do well on a test they will

receive play money and at the end of each quarter we would have an auction of some sort. I

believe that this will encourage my students to do their best and want to succeed in their

education. As I enter my classroom, I know that there will be a lot of diversity, I will try to be
sensitive about certain topics and I would want to encourage others to ask questions if curious

about details. I think this will show students a way to feel at home and help educate their fellow

peers about their own culture or traditions. I feel as this will all help with me being able to reach

my students and have them actually learning the material that will help them succeed and pass

their assessments. If I’m able to do this, then I feel as I’ve done my part as a teacher.

As for my future I’m still working on my Associate’s Degree and need to still take math

classes. After, I plan on moving on to UNLV and getting my Bachelor’s Degree. Along with all

this I need to obtain more hours in a classroom as well as obtaining the needed qualifications,

such as being certified in CPR and AED. I feel that if I’m able to do all this then I can become

the best teacher that I can be.