Sayra A.

Torres

Jacqueline Sgobba

Intro to Special Education

11 March 2020

The first time I thought about becoming a teacher was when I was six years old. My first

grade teacher left a lasting impression on me and l really wanted to be like her. Also during all

my basic education from elementary school to high school each of my teachers left something in
my heart that made me admire them, but in high school my desire to be a teacher faded and I

began considering other options. Then, I had the fortuitous opportunity to be a substitute

teacher for just four days. I realized that I loved being there, but I was sad about the poverty in

the classroom. It was so dark. The material being taught was so outdated and the students were

hungry for a different way to learn. Something more interactive and dynamic. The teacher was

an old woman using the same lessons for more than ten years; copying and repeating for

memorization. When I started using fun and friendly techniques that were in the teacher’s

edition of their textbook that their regular teacher didn’t seem to use, the kids had a lot of fun

learning. It was then that I made up my mind. I wanted to be a teacher because as teachers we

can make a better world by encouraging young minds to be better and by helping to discover

their talents and gifts.

I believe that teaching is one of the most interesting and beautiful professions in the

world, because we work with something so valuable and fragile and that is the self-esteem of a

human. Aside from their physical, environmental, or emotional limitations, as a teacher our job is

to discover the potential that each child possesses. Because of this Montessori, Piaget,

Vigosky, and Paulo Freire are some of the philosophers whose ideals I wanted to base my

teaching on, because their philosophy is every child learns at a different rhythm and and the

environment in which they grow up has an impact on their learning. Their theories are a role

model for my teaching style.

“Knowledge is constructed from the meanings one attributes to nature and the

environment. In theories, it means that constructers depend on observation and when directly

translated, the theory has the meaning of observation. In other words, we construct our own

reality with those belonging to our social circle. For us, there is the world and we can’t disregard

that; however, the relationship between us and the outside world is a joining as materialistic and

structural as in a social environment.” (1)

 The strategies that I will use in my class must be dynamic, interactive, and interesting for

each learner. I think the teaching style that is most like mine is C.H.A.M.P.S. because I think

that leads the student via self-management to give education meaning and ways to find value in

learning. This program enforces the following ideology: “Confident to learn. Home on the facts.

Action, explore and think about what you are learning. Memorized it, memorized just a few me

ideas. Prove your know, make sure that you really understand. Sit back and think, the aim is to

improve, not just what you know, but how you learn.” Also I read about using C.H.A.M.P.S. as a

behavioral management program that helps the teacher in a way that allows for more

instructional time and less time trying to control students’ behavior. I know of many educational

programs that get along with the constructivism philosophies that I could use in my future as a

teacher. I dream of a classroom where the students enjoy the process of learning and learn

concepts and strategies that they can apply and implement in real world situations. According to

Montessori, students that build knowledge as individuals and are able to work in groups and

integrate into a community will grow to be self sufficient.

I believe that I don’t need a classroom to teach and help kids learn and better

themselves. The knowledge that a student can get from a book is simple and straightforward,

but the confidence and self-esteem that we can help them build as teachers is the most

important thing I know for being a teacher. The main characteristic of being a teacher is being

able to facilitate the process of learning and helping others find their strength to succeed in

academics and in life altogether.

Works Cited

Rose, Colin. Civardi, Anne. Learning CHAMPS. “CHAMPS action plan”. New York. Sterling

Publishing. 2002.
Emel Ultanir. International Journal of Instruction. An Epistemological Glance at the

Constructivist. July 2012.