My Personal Philosophy of Education

Education means so much more to me than just teaching a classroom.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
(Mandela 1993) To me, it means preparing my students for the real world,
teaching them how to help others learn and giving them an example of how to be
the best person they can be. When teaching lower level elementary, such as
kindergarten, allowing the students to learn who they are as individuals is crucial.

Within my classroom, I want students to be free to express likes and

dislikes, but also to have the freedom to express their beliefs and creativity. The
school given curriculum can be molded into lessons that best benefit the students
and the way they learn. Whether that is with activities, reading lessons or verbal
lessons. Embracing each learning style and utilizing it to the best of my abilities
will allow students to learn their strengths and weaknesses.

I want to teach my classroom in a way that embraces diversity in learning

styles, home life and personality. First, by switching between lessons focused on
different learning styles, students can learn which method of teaching allows
them to comprehend the material the best. Doing activity sheets one day,
physical activities the next and verbal exercises another day, teachers can
incorporate all of the learning styles to strengthen weaknesses within the triad.

Each part of the day offers opportunities to guide childrens learning. Key
learning contexts are whole group, small group, learning centers and daily
routines. (Heroman and Copple) Second, every student has a different home
life. Whether that is two working parents, one working parent with one staying
home, only one parent in the picture or no parents home until late at night. The
presence of parents can greatly impact how students work on homework at
home. If parents arent around to help with homework, the student may fall
behind or not learn a specific topic to their full ability. Finally, a teacher will need
to learn quickly which children are going to work well in groups versus those who
are more introverted. These differences in personalities can be crucial to the
success of the student in his or her first year of school. A teacher embracing the
differences and intertwining them can lead to wonderful experiences for everyone
in the classroom. I intend to follow the works of theorist Howard Gardner in terms
of learning diversity and multiple intelligences.
For myself, teaching is one way of insuring that I will be a life long learner.
As curriculum changes, I have to learn along with the students. My main goal in
the classroom is to instill the desire to learn as my past teachers have done for
me. I hope to be able to share my passion of learning through my classroom. The
children in my classrooms will be the future of our country. My classroom could
be the foundation for the next president or army leader. As a future educator, I
will do my very best to give my students every opportunity with in my means, in
order to see them succeed and follow their dreams.

Source Page:
Heroman, C. and Copple, C. K today: Teaching and learning in the kindergarten year.
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/Play/Ktodayplay
Mandela , N. (1993). Education for All.
http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/efa/quotes.shtml