Khylsie Aparece

EDU 202 1001

Professor Christensen

20 April 2017

Educational Philosophy

My parents have always wanted me to be a nurse or a doctor, and, for the longest time, I

contemplated on being one. I have good work ethic, exceptional knowledge on the human body,

and my mom was even a nurse; unfortunately, nursing did not match my interests. Since I was in

elementary school, I always believed in pursuing a career that made me happy, but I was unsure

of what profession best suited me. When I became a junior in high school, I was nervous about

entering college because I was still did not know what my major was. Everyone told me that it

was common for students to be undeclared, but I wanted to have my future already planned out. I

sat at my desk, and really thought it through. After thorough contemplation, I realized that I had a

passion for educating others as a result of my experience serving in a youth group.

It all started in 6th grade when my friend Angel begged and successfully convinced me to

attend a three-day summer retreat for her Youth Group called Youth for Christ. On the first day,

we went inside to a room full of strangers, but we left that weekend with people we considered

family. After one year in the community, all I wanted to do was serve it. I accepted as many

service opportunities as possible: discussion group leader, session speaker, household head, and

eventually retreat leader. Now that I am a senior, it has been five years since I joined the

community; the people at my first retreat have all moved on, but I still remain. I found love and

interest in sharing my knowledge with everybody I encountered, and I didnt want to stop. It was

humbling to see other people grow because of what I shared, but it was even more rewarding
learning and growing alongside them. Upon realizing my passion for educating others, I wanted

to pursue a career in education.

Aside from my youth group, I was very active in my studies. I obtained As in all my

classes, but my favorite subject was mathematics. I have an extensive background and

understanding in that subject area. As a result, I was enrolled into Algebra as a 7th grader even

though it was a 9th grade course. I have always been two years ahead in math in comparison to

the classmates in the same grade as me, so I knew that math was going to be my focus as a

teacher. I hope to help kids understand the different algorithms in mathematics as well as help

them realize how math can be applied in their daily lives.

In the course of my senior year, I was able to observe a math teacher at Canarelli Middle

School. From my field observation, I noticed that it was hard to teach students a subject that they

were not interested in. I want to build a curriculum around the experiences and interests of

students in hopes that it will encourage them to be responsible for their education. I can do so by

incorporating math-oriented games and review-based team exercises in the classroom. My

educational philosophy is progressive, and my psychological orientation is constructive. A

constructive psychological orientation states that knowledge is not simply passed from one

person to another. It has to be constructed in each person through personal application and

interpretation of the lessons that were shared. I learned this from educating the new members in

my youth group about the faith. They better understood the moral lessons being taught when they

encountered scenarios that tested these values. The field observation has also helped me

formulate my teaching strategy. I saw that the students understood the material because the

teacher incorporated all three methods visual, auditory, and kinesthetic in her lesson plan. I

plan to incorporate all three methods as well in order to better accommodate for the diverse
learning styles of my students.

I have always wanted a profession that made me happy, and I believe that teaching is that

occupation. Ever since I decided to become a teacher, I began to plan all the steps I needed to

take in order to become successful in my career. First, I will obtain my substitute license, so I can

accept jobs that help me get accustomed to the classroom environment. Next, I will be attending

the University of Nevada, Reno with a major in Secondary Mathematics through their Nevada

Teach program. Once I receive my bachelors, I plan on teaching mathematics to the classrooms

in the Clark County School District. I still have a long way to go, but, in order to push my

students to be passionate about learning, I have to be a full time learner myself.