Philosophy Statement As with most children at an early age, I knew I wanted to be a teacher.

One can say that I was destined to be a teacher. I am following in the footsteps of my grandmother, mother, and father in becoming an educator; therefore, I have had ample opportunity to e perience, vicariously, the ups and downs, the successes and failures, and the heartaches and !oys of teaching. In high school, I made the decision to become a music teacher. "usic was my passion, for that reason I wanted to teach music. I marveled at the way my music teacher#s face lit up when we were competing at $I%, and when the music came together as a whole. I wanted to e perience this and to tough another person#s life the way he touched mine. After graduating, I went to college and ma!ored in "usic &ducation but unfortunately I didn#t finish my degree. In the summer of '((), my grandmother passed away. *er passing was the main factor in my decision to go back to school to become an elementary teacher. As a new teacher I know there will be rewards and challenges to teaching. I believe that the rewards will outweigh the challenges. +here will be days that I will need to seek advice from other teachers to help me get through those rough times, but I feel that with their help, I will overcome whatever is thrown my way. "y ob!ective for student learning is to know and understand all aspects of student#s developmental characteristics at any age. ,alking into a school as a new teacher, I believe that all teachers need to know different approaches to motivate students of any background and culture. +here are a few ways that I can provide appropriate instructions to meet the needs of the students. One way I can provide appropriate instructions is to work on plan lessons that reflect the varied backgrounds, skills, interest and learning needs for all types of students and incorporate cultural and socioeconomic status differences. As a future teacher, in my opinion, the impact of this knowledge will enhance the interactions not only among the students in the classroom but also outside the classroom with the families and the community. ,hen teaching, no matter the length in time, knowing the importance of the state content and performance standards as outlined in the +e as &ssential -nowledge and Skills .+&-S/ is the most effective way to become a successful teacher.