Philosophy Statement Jennifer Alonso Ivy Tech Community College

INTASC STANDARD STANDARD #2: Learning Differences The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards. Name of Artifact: Philosophy Statement Date: March 2013 Course: EDUC 250: Educational Psychology Description: For this assignment I wrote my personal philosophy statement on why I want to become a teacher, my pedagogy, and the methodology I will be using in my classroom. Rationale: To document my understanding of Learning Differences, I have selected to include my Philosophy Statement because it shows my understanding that all students are different and come from different cultures and backgrounds. It shows that I can relate with all students and diverse cultures, and will provide a classroom environment that meets their individual needs.

PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. William Arthur Ward. I have always envisioned myself having a career that I could be proud of while making a difference in childrens lives and that is the reason I decided to pursue a career in teaching. As a high school student, I encountered a teacher that made a positive effect in my life. I was struggling in school and had no motivation or hope in myself. That teacher always encouraged me and made me feel that I was worthy of something, she pushed me and showed me that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to. I want to be that encouragement and inspiration for other students. I want to make a difference in their lives and show them that they can achieve and reach their goals and dreams, just like my teacher did for me. I want to embrace their individual talents and inspire them to reach their full potential. Every classroom is made up students that come from different backgrounds and cultures. As an educator I want to embrace diversity in the class and also implement students cultures into the curriculum. I want all of my students to be culturally aware and accepting. I believe that students should be able to relate and understand the subject you are teaching. Students need to be inspired and also connect with their teacher in order to be productive and engaged in the learning process, and I want students to be able to relate and connect with me. I will inspire my students by involving myself with projects in the community they live in, showing students that I not only care about their education, but are genuinely interested about them personally. I hope to have a classroom of acceptance, where every student feels important and part of the classroom environment. I want to teach students about the world and the different people in it, the world that awaits them outside of their communities.

I believe that a social environment allows students to become engaged in their environment and also build relationships with their peers, which in turn builds their self-esteem. I will allow my students to engage in discussions and communicate to find ways to solve problems individually or as a group. I want my students to play an active role in their learning, by collaborating with their peers, in order to learn and solve problems. I will implement the use of scaffolding in order to build interest and engage the students in the learning process. Encourage students to actively participate in the lesson, while modeling and completing tasks with students as a group or individually. My role as an educator is to guide my students and help them reach their own unique and individual potentials and strengths. It is important to keep an open line of communication with parents, administrators, and community leaders in order to provide the resources and tools that my students need in order to achieve academically. My goal is to make sure that every student in my class feels special, smart, and inspired. I want to teach them not only through instruction but through positive words of encouragement, being a role model to them, caring about them individually, their communities, and their futures. I will always encourage individuality and find each students individual strengths. Through the process of cooperative learning and assistance, I will lead my students to experiment and solve problems through their own processes and abilities. They will learn to collaborate, interact socially with their peers, and gain self-esteem and independence for their future endeavors.