Philosophy of Education by Kathy Roark

My philosophy of education consists of creating an environment that promotes lifelong learning in my

students. The key ingredients to creating that type of environment are having positive expectations for all my
students, establishing a classroom management style that maintains safety and productive learning, as well as
crafting unique lesson plans that supports student mastery. In my class, my students will not sit at their desk
for hours on end while they are talked at, then expected to spit back the information they learned with perfect
accuracy. Instead, I believe in a more balanced approach to teaching children. On any given day, my
classroom will have students actively engaged in small group projects, collaborating together in interactive
centers, investigating with hands-on explorations, or developing their originality and imagination.
Being this kind of an effective educator requires me to utilize multiple methods to reach maximum
student success. Three fundamental styles you will find in my classroom are collaborative group work,
lecture/group discussions, and scaffolding. An example often observed in my room for collaborative group
work is the think-pair-share process. Students are asked to think about and write a response to a provided
question, then discuss their thoughts with their group before sharing with the class. KWL (what I know, what
I want to know, and what I learned) is an example of lecture/group discussion method often found at the
beginning of a new unit of study. As a class, students will provide examples of what they already know about
the new topic; then, we will discuss things that they want to learn about the subject matter, and when the unit
is almost completed, we will evaluate what we have learned. This scaffolding technique is found throughout
all areas of the classroom, but a good example would be 1-1 teaching, coaching, and modeling that is done on
an individual basis with each student.
It would be an injustice to my students to teach them without evaluating them for understanding. I
believe it is futile to proceed before basic skills have been achieved and strong building blocks have been
established within them. Therefore, in my classroom, you will often discover that I like to conduct multiple
styles of formative and summative assessments. For example, during a lesson, I will use class discussions,
observations, and interviews to maintain an overall grasp of my students comprehension of the material
covered. For major projects, my students will be provided rubrics, which I believe allows students to have a
better understanding of the expectations for the projects, as well as it provides me with the basic rules and
guidelines for consistent analysis of my students work. Students will also be evaluated with multiple choice
exams, short answer responses, self-evaluations, presentation, and portfolios. Self-evaluations are a great way
to have students think critically and prioritize their learning habits. Personal reflection can also be a strong
motivator and learning tool that I will incorporate into my room.
It is commonly known and understood in the field of education that learning never stops. For me,
learning is an ongoing, fluid motion; the older I get, the better at being a student I become. However,
learning, to me, is not just reading textbooks or sitting in a classroom listening to lectures. I, much like what
I will provide for my students, need, want, and learn best when collaborating with my peers. I thrive under an
educational system that supports lead teachers, coaches, and buddies for educators. I also believe in active
involvement with continuing educational opportunities. The world of education is evolving and without
continual education for educators, my students will be the ones to suffer. When available, I will continue to
develop through professional learning networks, attending hands-on workshops, and conversing with fellow
educators. I will also use student evaluations and assessments to self-evaluate my teaching approach in order
to make educated adjustments when applicable. Even as a teacher, I must remember that I am a learner that is
always learning for the betterment of my students.
My class is not just a place students get to come every day; instead, its a conceptual world of
excitement, adventure, discoveries, challenges, set-backs, leaps forward, personal growth, friendships,
rewards, and more. It is truly where learning comes to life. I became an educator because of my own
personal struggles in school as a young student; however, I fell in love with teaching when I discovered the
joy of witnessing a childs growth and development in academic pursuits, as well as personal
accomplishments and successes. My open door perspective to teaching provides me with skills for effective
communication between myself, peers, parents, and students. My level of determination is embodied by my
preparedness, attention to details, and flexible nature. My classroom will always provide positive
expectations, good classroom management, and lessons designed for student mastery.