Philosophy+of+Education

I believe it is important to maintain balance in education. It is important to balance content material, student relationships, and student life experiences. I believe we should teach to “the whole child,” much in the same manner John Dewey advocated. Recognizing each student as an individual gives us the opportunity to make content material applicable to their reality. I believe connections are key to developing a firm understanding of content, and it is important to guide students towards making their own connections regularly.

As educators, it is our job to develop productive citizens. To that end, we must engage the students in critical thought-based discussion. Their ability to create change will depend on their understanding of their role in society, and they must be able to critically assess how their role impacts the world. I believe each student has the right to dictate what his or her specific role will be.

If each student feels as though their own opinions and emotions are <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">valued, I believe they will value the emotions and opinions of others. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">My goal as a teacher is to build relationships with the students and <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">create a unique learning environment for them. Each student should <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">be given many opportunities to master content. I also want to be <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">aware of the diverse learner in my classroom and meet their needs. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">I plan to always continue to learn. My love for teaching equates to my <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">love for education in general—learning should never plateau. I hope <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">to demonstrate this belief with a continued growth in my content area, <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">and through professional development.