Philosophy of Education Outline

Thesis Statement: ​Learning is growing. When one learns, his knowledge grows. When his
knowledge grows, he becomes closer to achieving his goals. This process of learning, growing,
and actualizing dreams is facilitated by the teacher. The teacher, also known as the mentor, the
moral compass, the role model, and the friend, plays an influential role in a student’s life. Not
only does a teacher help a student excel academically; she also makes helps her student meet
his needs and reach a certain level of personal development. She offers guidance and support,
and takes notice of a student’s talents and reminds him of his capability to do phenomenal
things.

I. My aspirations, goals and objectives as a teacher and my goals for my students

are:
A. What is my role as a teacher?
● To help initiate the process of learning and self discovery
● To promote a positive classroom environment that induces the motivation to
learn
● To foster individual growth by meeting the needs of all students
● To diffuse knowledge
B. What is the student’s role in education?
● To have a positive attitude about learning, to persevere through academic
obstacles, and to view failures as learning experiences
● To have a growth mindset; they should aim toward self improvement
● To work hard and put effort in what they’re doing; it pays off in the long run

​II​. ​Methods I will consider to reach these goals and objectives include:
A. How will I choose curriculum and teaching strategies?
● I will choose curriculum based on the TEKS given, or the standards that the
district requires my students to meet
● I will select teaching strategies based on prior knowledge from internship, college
classes, high school classes, etc.
● I will make sure that my teaching strategies appeal to different learning styles and
suit students’ needs. For example, I will often incorporate multiple intelligences,
Kagan materials, and various teaching methods like hands-on activities or group
discussions.
B. What classroom strategies will be used?
● At the beginning of class, I will conduct warm-ups to check for student
understanding. This will keep them occupied, and as a result, limit behavior
issues.
● I will tell students to keep cell phones in their purses, backpacks, bags, etc.
unless I ask them to use it for educational purposes
● If students are talking, I will use the four-question strategy as a verbal warning or
I will simply say “Please don’t talk while I’m talking; it’s disrespectful.” If behavior
issues persist, I will talk with them outside of the classroom.
● If that doesn’t work, I will document their behavior.
● My last consequence will be to send them to the principal’s office.
● To encourage classroom participation, I will ask questions from time to time.
Students must raise their hand to answer, otherwise they won’t get picked.
 ● I will allow students to use the restroom during non instructional time, unless it’s
an emergency.
● Students will have free seating, as long as they’re learning is not being hindered
by it.
● Students who demonstrate good behavior will be rewarded with incentives once
in a while.
● If I come across difficult situations (e.g. two students fighting), I will do my best to
control the situation and I will contact the Assistant Principal to help resolve the
problem.
C. How will I accommodate students with limited English skills?
● I will provide ESL students with scaffolding tools (pictures, diagrams, models) to
help them better understand concepts.
● I will plan hands-on activities from them, so that they can physically experience
what they are learning.
● I will coordinate with the ESL teacher so that he/she can suggest useful
strategies I can use.
● I will incorporate a little bit of sentence structure and grammar into their
assignments.
● I will use less sophisticated vocabulary when creating tests and quizzes for them.
● I will give them extra time (if needed) on tests and assignments.
● I will send them to the learning lab, if needed.
D. How will I serve students with special needs?
● I will give them a teacher copy of notes and have them fill in fill-in-the-blank notes
so that they don’t have to write a lot
● I will create modified tests and quizzes for them
● I will give them more time and extra help on assignments
● I will make sure concepts are explained clearly to them
● I will provide necessary accommodations that will fit their needs

III.​ ​ How will I assess student understanding?

A. How will I assess student understanding of materials?
● I will give tests and quizzes periodically and projects on occasion
● In my class, I will also have a benchmark or a mid-term test at the end of
Semester 1. This is not to stress students out. I just want them to be successful.
● I will divide concepts that students are tested on into categories so that students
can assess their strengths and weaknesses
● I will also have formative assessments like student led conferences to see what
their weak areas are and to figure out their individual needs
B. How will I prepare students for various tests, such as STAAR?
● I will do mini review sessions in the weeks leading up to STAAR or the class
periods leading up to unit tests
● These sessions will include review stations, direct teaching only for confusing
concepts, and some time to work on study guides
● In the review stations, there will be various types of activities like videos, card
sorts, worksheets, etc.
● We will also play Kahoot as a class to make it fun
IV. How can I improve my teaching?
A. How will I serve all my students well?
● I will direct teach sometimes, mostly when a concept is difficult or is being
introduced
● Then, I’ll have students do group activities, worksheets, watch videos, etc. based
on their interests
● At the beginning of the year, the students will take a short survey and describe in
what ways they learn best
● Based on the responses, I will create classroom activities and plan fun lessons
that suit their needs
● I will offer tutorial timings to students who need help
B. What should students expect of me as a teacher?
● That I will help them reach their goals
● That I will try as hard as I can to meet their needs and go above and beyond for
them
● That I will make myself accessible
● That I will treat all of them respectfully
● That I will be compassionate and understanding
V. Are there any additional considerations I want to call attention to?
A. What qualities are important for me as a teacher to possess?
● Engaging- I should be able to make lessons interesting for my students and
students should be able to enjoy my class
● Assertive- I should be clear about my expectations from my students and I
shouldn’t be afraid to discipline them
● Passionate- Students will learn best if I show them that I love what I’m doing and
that I enjoy helping them learn
● Understanding- Being understanding makes me seem personable which is
something I need to show my students, so that they are not hesitant to talk to me
or ask questions
● Knowledgeable- In order to teach, I need to know the content well.
B. What is the role of the school in society?
● School is a place of education and empowerment; school gives knowledge and
knowledge is power
● School makes people realize what they want to do as a career
● School teaches the basic skills that we need to survive in this world
C. What does learning mean to me?
● Learning not only means knowing more but also being able to apply a concept to
real life
● Learning means enrichment of the mind, making it increasingly complex; not just
discovering the ‘what’ but also the ‘why’ and the ‘how’
● Learning comes in many forms; it’s not just taking notes about something new in
the classroom, it’s also noticing everything around you and developing your own
perception about the world