Philosophy of Education

By: Amanda Thorn

As Janice Koch once said a good teacher will wear many hats in their career
(2013). Wearing these hats (or roles) is all to keep a childs interest in learning.
Education is something that should be wanted by a child, not a chore. As a teacher, I
want to spark my students interest in education and encourage them to become lifelong
learners.
Students are eager to learn if placed in the right environments. The ability to
connect with students is one of many qualities that a great teacher must possess. With
the diversity of students teachers will encounter in their classroom, it is up to the teacher
to stay up to date on new methods of learning that will allow each student to reach their
full potential. As an educator, I know the times are changing and my students will
become more technologically savvy than I am; in order to cope with that I will look to
that new technology as a means of getting my students attention in the classroom.
Basing lesson plans around student interests will allow me to make a better connection
with my class as a teacher as well as make my lessons more relatable. For instance, I
can use video games to encourage problem solving skills and teamwork.
Above all, my goal for my students is to see them grow as individuals. Watching
them change and grow from the first day of the school year to the last is like watching a
transformation right in front of your own eyes (Koch, 2013). Children can absorb so
much information and also learn a lot about themselves in the classroom; which, in turn
can affect who they are and how they see themselves as individuals. It is almost like
watching them turn into new, improved people in just one year.
My beliefs about education are simple: that children are going to learn the most
through enjoyable experiences. Getting hands on experience enables students to not
only know, but do. They are learning in the context of a goal that is relevant,
meaningful, and interesting to the student (Boyd, Garff, McConkie, Roos, Yandell). This
kind of learning will lead to information being used both inside and outside of the
classroom and giving children the opportunity to put what they are learning into practice
will set up connections and mental schemas.
These beliefs will impact my classroom management by giving me a better
understanding of my students as individuals, which in turn will allow me to know what
my students will respond to and what to limit while we are in the process of learning. I
believe strongly in the use of hands on learning, so anticipating some unruly behaviors
during the activities is a must, but I will plan accordingly. My beliefs will also affect my
instructional strategies, because the in-class activities are going to be a driving force in
my classroom. My assessment will be influenced as well because I will attempt to grade
students mostly upon implementation and attempt to stray from standardized tests and
quizzes as much as possible.

Being reflective is not only a big part of teaching, but it is also a concept that is
important to me. I will be reflective about my practices by making notes about what my
students respond highly too and what they dont. Each group of students will be different
but certain techniques can work on all of them. If a lesson plan doesnt work on my
students, I will do research on new methods and alter it until I see a change in my
students.
In an ever-changing world it is also important to bring into account global
awareness which I can bring into my classroom by celebrating different cultures and
holiday each week. I will make one short lesson about a culture each week and at the
end of the week, I will bring in a dish from that particular culture for my students to try. I
will also base some assignments around those particular cultures as a way to
incorporate them into our everyday classroom. It is important to teach my students that
different cultures should be celebrated and embraced, especially if I have a diverse
group of students, then I may ask parents to come in and share about their culture in
person.
I will strive to keep my relationships between the community, parents, colleagues,
and the administration open. I want to venture out into the community in order to make
field trips and find safe places for children to go after school or on weekends. On the
first day of class, I will send out information for parents with my contact information and
encourage them to have monthly progress sessions and to participate in our lesson
plans. I will be look for support from my colleagues especially in the first year but I will
also offer as much support as I take. Professionally, I will inform the principals and staff
if I have an issue with a student or if I have questions about what I should do with a
particular lesson or field trip planned.

Works Cited
Klopfer, E., Osterweil, S., Groff, J., & Haas, J. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://education.mit.edu/papers/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf
Boyd, J., Garff, C., McConkie, K., Roos, S., Yandell, A. (n.d.). Learning by Doing.
Retrieved from
http://itls.usu.edu:8080/groups/6505_knowledgebase/revisions/0cd45/7/
Koch, J. (2013). Teach. (Student ed., Vol. 2). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.