MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

My Philosophy of Education
Robyn Strickland
Oakland City University

MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

My Philosophy of Education
As I think back over the past few years, I have realized that my philosophy of education
has changed a little bit. At first, I did not really know what I wanted to teach and then one day it
hit me that I wanted to go into early childhood education. I realized that children truly are a
blessing and that they are very special human beings. They may drive us crazy sometimes, but
that is part of being a teacher. There are ten standards to keep in mind when we are teaching.
They will all be explained in great detail to help us learn how to be the most effective teacher we
can be.
The first standard is the childs learning development. From the time a baby is first born
until they are an adult, their brains fill up with new information every day. According to Piagets
stages of development, a baby just born through the age of two goes through the Sensorimotor
Stage. During this stage, the child is learning their surroundings and what is around them. The
main achievement of a child at this age is object permanence. Object permanence is knowing
that an object still exists, even if it is hidden (McLeod, 2009, p. 1). Children this age do not
have a concept of themselves and what they are doing. They will begin to babble and say a few
words at this age, too. The second stage of development is the Preoperational Stage. This stage is
for children age two to seven. During this stage, young children are able to think about things
symbolically. This is the ability to make one thing, a word or an object, stand for something other
than itself (McLeod, 2009, p. 1). They start to put pictures with words and continue to learn
about their surroundings. Children also begin to start talking in sentences and making their
voices heard. At the age of four or five, children start to learn how to spell words and use them in
sentences. They will also learn their alphabet and numbers. The third stage of development is the

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Concrete Operational Stage. This stage is for children age seven to eleven and is a major turning
point in a childs cognitive development. The child can start to figure things out logically rather
than learning by trying something. Children can conserve number (age 6), mass (age 7), and
weight (age 9). Conservation is the understanding that something stays the same in quantity even
though its appearance changes (McLeod, 2009, p 1). This is sometimes hard for children to
understand, but is necessary for them to know. The fourth stage of development is the Formal
Operational Stage. The formal operational stage begins at approximately age eleven and lasts
into adulthood. During this time, people develop the ability to think about abstract concepts, and
logically test hypothesis (McLeod, 2009, p. 1). By this time in a persons life, their brain is
mostly developed and they can learn at a faster pace as well. All four stages of development are
crucial in a childs life to be able to learn in school and in life. As a future teacher, I will help any
student who needs it. Some students may need one-on-one help, while others can pick up on
things faster and do things by themselves. If a student is struggling, I will talk to the parent about
the best option for their child.
The second standard is Learning Differences in children. Some children learn faster than
others and some learn slower than others. Some children have different learning styles, too. One
type of learning style is learning visually. Children who are visual processors tend to observe a
parents or teachers body language and facial expressions for content and learn through
demonstrations and descriptions. They tend to have well-developed imaginations and often think
in pictures (Childrens Learning Styles, 2010, p. 1). This picture can be a diagram, a
photograph, or even a drawing. The students may get distracted from their work by a lot of
movements as well. The students that learn visually may need to be left alone when doing work

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so they can concentrate on getting their work done. Another type of learning is auditory learning.
Children who are auditory processors learn through participating in discussions and talking
things through. Verbal directions may help clarify instructions or written information
(Childrens Learning Styles, 2010, p. 1). These children like quiet environments as well. They
also like to ask a lot of questions to make sure they understand what the teacher is trying to teach
them. This type of student also may need one-on-one help with their work since they learn from
hearing things over and over. Another kind of learner is a tactile learner. Children who are more
tactile prefer activities or projects that allow them to use their hands (Childrens learning Styles,
2010, p. 1). Some hands-on activities could include: Play-Doh, drawing, or doing a science
experiment in the classroom. They want to see the project they are doing while they are doing it.
This kind of learner also may like to explore outside and play with a few things they may find.
One way to help these kind of students would be to go on a nature walk with the class and pick
up a few things along the way. After the things have been gathered, they can do hands on art
projects with them or keep them for their own classroom collection. The last kind of learner is a
kinesthetic learner. Children who are more kinesthetic learn through physical sensations and
may have trouble sitting still for long periods (Childrens Learning Styles, 2010, p. 1). If I use
the example of the nature walk again, the nature walk would be good for kinesthetic learners.
They like to be up and exploring the world by walking or running. All four of these types of
learners are very important in the classroom. In my future classroom, I will try my best
accommodate every kind of learner in my class. Every child will be different and learn in
different ways. Each assignment I plan I will try to make fun for everyone. I do not want a
student to feel left out.

MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

The third standard to consider when teaching is the learning environment in the
classroom. You want the classroom to feel comfortable and make sure the children feel
comfortable as well. The physical structure of a classroom is a critical variable in affecting
student morale and learning (Phillips, 2014, p. 1). To accomplish this, the room needs to be
clean and organized so the students know where everything is that they need. The teacher also
needs to be aware of what is going on with each student as well. The teacher should arrange the
room so that each table and chair is not blocking an aisle or in anybodys way. In my future
preschool classroom I will have centers as a way to organize the classroom. One center would be
an art center. In this station there will be many different art supplies for them to use. They can be
very creative and make things to take home as well. Another center I would have would be a
blocks center. This allows the children to build with the blocks and with friends who learn to
play together. I would also have a writing center. In this center, the students will have the tools to
draw, cut, or even color. There will also be paper in this center to help them practice writing their
letters and numbers. A fourth center I would have would be a science center. In this center, there
will be rocks, toy bugs, magnifying glasses, and much more. This will allow the children to
explore and learn more about what is in the environment. A fifth center I would have is a kitchen.
The students will be able to learn the different foods and the utensils they would use to cook
them. I would also have a sensory table as a center. In it I could put water, sand, rice, or even
beans. This helps the students to know what something feels like and the texture of different
things. Another center I could have is a table toy center. This includes puzzles, Play-Doh, and
floam. At this center the children can make what they want out of the tools provided. I would
also have a computer as a center. I will have a few computers and have only one child to a

MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

computer at a time. There will be games and stories that are educational on there for them to
play. All of these centers mentioned I plan on using in my future classroom. Including students
in creating the physical environment can enhance that environment, increase the feeling of
classroom community, and give students a sense of empowerment (Phillips, 2014, p. 1). This is
what we want in all our classrooms. We want it to feel like a learning environment and a safe
environment.
The fourth standard to consider when teaching is the content knowledge for the class you
will be teaching. As a teacher, you want to be aware of what the students need to learn and how
you are going to teach it in the most effective way. In preschool, the students learn their alphabet
and their numbers. They also begin to learn how to write their names and count to 10. Some
students may be slower than others and you may have to take different approaches for them to
learn. One thing the children will realize is that numbers and counting really do apply to their
lives outside of school. They will also learn one-to-one correspondence. They will need to know
how to add and subtract small numbers. They will recognize their numbers and put them in order
from smallest to largest (Stanberry, 1999, p. 1). This will teach them size and help them put
things in order. If a child is having trouble learning the material, the teacher should talk to the
parent about the situation. The teacher should give the parents suggestions on what to do about
the situation. The parent can either take the teachers advice or wait and see if the child will learn
them on his own. The teacher can also send work home with the parent and maybe that will help
too (Stanberry, 1999, p. 1). As a teacher, I will try fun activities with the students to make
learning fun. I know that not every student will understand, and I will do my best to help them
one-on-one if they need it.

MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

The fifth standard to consider when teaching is the application of the content you will be
teaching. How will we apply the content so that it will be easy and fun for the students to
understand? We will plan the lessons well and make sure that everyone understands the concepts
we will be teaching. Plan activities that have a purpose and that challenge children (Teaching
Our Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers and Childcare and Family Providers, 2007, p. 1).
As a teacher, we do not want the kids to get bored. We want them to be excited and encouraged
throughout the day. Know how to establish and maintain order in a classroom but in a manner
that permits the children to learn how to participate in and enjoy learning (Teaching Our
Youngest: A Guide for Preschool Teachers and Childcare and Family Providers, 2007, p. 1). The
kids can learn by playing games, reading books, or even playing with their friends. Most of the
time, kids will love doing the activities planned. The class could do an art project and hang their
work out in the hallway so their parents can see their accomplishments. This way the parents will
be able to see the projects of all the students in the class and have a better understanding of what
their child is doing. We can also watch movies or short videos that pertain to the topic being
talked about that day. This will help the children retain information faster if they can remember
certain things that were in the video/movie. As a teacher, we will choose what works for the class
we have that year. We may have to change some things we do from year to year to accommodate
the students needs.
The sixth standard a teacher should take into consideration is assessment. Assessment is
an ongoing process that includes collecting, synthesizing and interpreting information about
pupils, the classroom and their instruction. The younger the child, the more difficult it is to
obtain valid assessments. Early development is rapid, episodic and highly influenced by

MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

experience. Performance on an assessment is affected by childrens emotional states and the

conditions of the assessment (Epstein, 2004, p. 1). In the preschool setting, it can be harder to
assess the students because they may remember some things but not everything. They have such
a rapid mind that they can barely remember what they learned five minutes ago. There are four
main uses of assessment. The first use is to identify children who may be in need of specialized
services (Epstein, 2004, p. 1). Some students may need a counselor or therapist to work with
them a little outside of class. This might also be a time when the student shows signs of a
possible learning disability as well. If this happens, the teacher should talk to the parent about
their concerns for the child. The second use of an assessment is to plan instruction for
individuals and groups of children (Epstein, 2004, p. 1). The assessments will help the teacher
to know how to split the class into groups based on their levels of learning. Some students may
understand things better than others and some may not. The teacher will then teach those
students in those groups on a more personal level to help them understand the particular concept.
The third use of an assessment is to identify program improvement and staff development
needs (Epstein, 2004, p. 1). This is to help the teachers know how well they taught the students
the concepts on the assessment. If the results show that the students missed a lot of questions on
a particular subject area, then you know as a teacher that you need to go back and reteach it a
different way than before. The fourth and final use of an assessment is to evaluate how well a
program is meeting goals for children (Epstein, 2004, p. 1). As a teacher, think about how well
you think this assessment helped the class as a whole. If it helped them, then you know that you
taught the material the right way. If it did not help, then you know to teach the material a
different way next time. In preschool, I will try to do an assessment on them once a month or so

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to see how well they are improving on their learning. This will help me to know who needs more
one-on-one instruction.
The seventh strategy to consider when teaching is planning for instruction. You want to
make sure you plan well and consider each students needs. There are eight steps teachers can
take to ensure a smoother planning process. The first step is to establish a positive classroom
environment (Effective Lesson Planning, Delivery Techniques, and Classroom Management
Suggestions, p.1). As I mentioned earlier, the children need to feel safe and want to feel
welcomed as soon as they walk into the classroom. The second step is to begin lessons by
giving clear instructions (Effective Lesson Planning, Delivery Techniques, and Classroom
Management Suggestions, p.1). Give clear instructions so the students know what they are
supposed to be doing. You want the students to be able to understand what they are doing before
you start the project so it does not cause confusion during the lesson. The third step is to
maintain student attention (Effective Lesson Planning, Delivery Techniques, and Classroom
Management Suggestions, p.1). The teacher needs to make sure that each child is paying
attention to what is going on. Some students may get bored, but it is our job as a teacher to
redirect them back to the lesson. We do not want the students to get lost and not understand. The
fourth step is to use appropriate pacing (Effective Lesson Planning, Delivery Techniques, and
Classroom Management Suggestions, p.1). Make sure that you are teaching the lesson at a good
pace and not too fast for the class as a whole. Some students may understand a concept quicker
than others but it is a good idea to teach the lessons at a slower pace to make sure everyone
understands it. The fifth step is to provide suitable seatwork (Effective Lesson Planning,
Delivery Techniques, and Classroom Management Suggestions, p.1). Make sure the children sit

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in a good seating arrangement during the lesson. We do not want troublemakers sitting next to
each other, as that could cause conflict during the lesson. When someone is done with their work,
they can raise their hand and I will come to them to gather their work. The sixth step is to
evaluate what has taken place in your lesson (Effective Lesson Planning, Delivery Techniques,
and Classroom Management Suggestions, p.1). Make sure that it is ready to be taught and that it
can be taught in a way to accommodate every student in the class. The seventh step is to make a
smooth transition into next subject (Effective Lesson Planning, Delivery Techniques, and
Classroom Management Suggestions, p.1). Make sure that there is something for the children to
do between subjects so they are not bored. The teacher could have them do a coloring sheet or
work on other work that has not gotten done yet. The teacher could also have a game for the
children to play to get them interested in the next subject. The eighth and final step is to develop
positive teacher/student relationships (Effective Lesson Planning, Delivery Techniques, and
Classroom Management Suggestions, p.1). To make sure this happens, the teacher should be
willing to help a student that needs help and build friendships with all the students. I want to
have relationships with all my students and parents. I do not want anyone to feel left out at all.
All eight of these steps I will take into serious consideration when I begin teaching in my
classroom.
The eighth standard to use when teaching is instructional strategies. One great way to use
instructional strategies is through differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction is a
philosophy of teaching and learning that recognizes and responds to student differences in
readiness, interests, and learner profiles (Tomlinson, 2001; Tomlinson et al., 2003) (Purcell,
2007, p. 1). This helps us as teachers to know if someone is struggling or if someone is really

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excelling. We can also divide students into groups based on their learning levels and do small
group activities with them. By doing this, we are learning more about each students learning
style and how we can help them further in their learning. We also want a fun and interesting
learning environment for the students. We can play a fun game or read a book that the class is
interested in to engage the students, too. We can ask questions to the students along the way also
to make sure they understand the concepts being taught. There are four things to consider when
teaching differentiated instruction. The first idea to consider is to continually Monitor Progress
and Regroup Children (Purcell, 2007, p. 2). Make sure that you are keeping up with what they
are learning and make note of it for future reference. The second idea is to create a Supportive
Environment that Engages All Learners (Purcell, 2007, p. 2). You want all the children to be
involved in the lesson and learn from it. Do a group project and make sure that everyone gets a
turn and is accounted for. No one should feel left out in this kind of situation. The third idea is to
Plan and Start Slowly (Purcell, 2007, p. 3). You want to make sure that you take your time in
planning and make sure that everyone is accounted for. You can choose to teach them through
whole group instruction, small group instruction, or centers. The fourth and last idea is to Plan
for Transitions (Purcell, 2007, p. 3). Make sure you know how you are going to transition the
children into the next station or lesson because sometimes that can be a little hectic if not
planned out well. All four of these ideas should be taken into consideration when teachers teach
any lesson, but specifically a lesson that involves differentiated instruction.
The ninth standard to consider when teaching is professional learning and ethical
practice. There are three points to consider when teaching this: performance, essential
knowledge, and critical dispositions (Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice,

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2015, p. 1). Performance is when the teacher engages in ongoing learning opportunities to
develop knowledge and skills in order to provide all learners with engaging curriculum and
learning experiences based on local and state standards (Standard 9: Professional Learning and
Ethical Practice, 2015, p. 1). As a teacher, we want to make sure we follow the local and state
standards to that our students learn what they are supposed to learn. If this does not happen, it
will look bad on the teacher and there may not be good consequences for the teacher.
Performance is also when the teacher actively seeks professional, community, and technological
resources, within and outside the school, as supports for analysis, reflection, and problemsolving (Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice, 2015, p. 1). This helps the
teacher to get to know each student and know about other people who may or may not be a part
of the school system. Meeting new people and doing things to further the students learning is
always positive thing. The second point is essential knowledge. This is when the teacher
understands and knows how to use a variety of self-assessment and problem-solving strategies to
analyze and reflect on his/her practice and to plan for adaptations/adjustments (Standard 9:
Professional Learning and Ethical Practice, 2015, p. 1). If a child is struggling, the teacher should
make some adjustments in their lesson plan to best fit all the students. The next year when the
same topic is being taught, it may need to be taught in a different way due to the way the children
learn best in that class. Essential knowledge is also when The teacher understands laws related
to learners rights and teacher responsibilities (e.g., for educational equity, appropriate education
for learners with disabilities, confidentiality, privacy, appropriate treatment of learners, reporting
in situations related to possible child abuse) (Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical
Practice, 2015, p. 1). Teachers should know and understand

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this very well. If a situation were to arise in the classroom related to any of those, the teacher
should immediately know what to do and act on it. The third point is critical dispositions. This is
when the teacher sees him/herself as a learner, continuously seeking opportunities to draw upon
current education policy and research as sources of analysis and reflection to improve practice
(Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice, 2015, p. 1). The teacher should do this
to make sure that they are teaching what they are supposed to. This is also a great way to know
how other teachers are teaching and learn ideas they can use in their classroom. Critical
disposition is also when the teacher understands the expectations of the profession including
codes of ethics, professional standards of practice, and relevant law and Policy (Standard 9:
Professional Learning and Ethical Practice, 2015, p. 1). It is always good for a teacher to know
and understand the laws and policies very well in case of an emergency. It is also helpful to make
sure you are doing your job as a teacher. All three points should be put into great use by every
teacher. Each is very important and critical for teachers to know.
The tenth and final standard to consider when teaching is leadership and collaboration.
There are three tips that a teacher can use in leadership and collaboration. The first tip is to
Build Relationships (Jones, 2014, p. 1). It is always good to build great relationships with your
colleagues and your students. You can go to their ballgames or even go to their house and get to
know them on a more personal level. This is one way that will help the student feel more secure
with you as their teacher. The second tip is to find time to collaborate (Jones, 2014, p. 1). Find
time throughout the day or every few days to talk to other teachers about any concerns you may
have. Your colleagues can always help you and give you advice when you need it. You can also
do lessons plans together as well. The third and final tip is to share responsibility (Jones, 2014,

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p. 1). If you have a co-teacher, try to make it where you each do half of the work required for the
job. It is only fair to do it that way otherwise that may cause conflict between the two of you. All
three tips will help the teacher know that they have people supporting them and if they have
problems they have people they can talk to about it.
All ten of the standards are a very important part of teaching. Every one of them is
important and should be taken seriously. I will use all of them in my teaching to help further my
education and the education of my fellow colleagues. I hope to be a preschool teacher and I cant
wait to get started. I know this is the field I am supposed to be in. I know it will be stressful at
times, but it will all be worth it in the end. I am ready to start this journey and see where it takes
me.

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Epstein, A. S., Schweinhart, L. J., DeBruin-Parecki, A., & Robin, K. B. (2004, July). Preschool
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