Philosophy of Education
I believe that every child should have an opportunity to learn and to learn in a way that is effective for them. I believe education should be well rounded and see to all the needs of a child— physical, mental, emotional, academic, social, economical, and moral. There are a number of ways to meet these needs. Music and the arts is one way. Play is another. Experience and interaction is a great way to gain knowledge; while setting a good example is one of the best ways to teach good morals and proper social interactions. It’s never too early to teach about economy or about helping others. To support the emotional needs of children, I plan to consistently and constantly be available to them.
There are also a few specific things that I would like to teach. First is to be yourself. I’d like to have a poster of Shel Silverstein’s poem “Masks” to emphasize this. Second is fail early; fail often. This goal is two-fold. The first is to get the students to try, and the second is to make sure they know that mistakes are okay. Last is that movement is important. Exercise and knowing how to exercise is an important skill to lead a healthy lifestyle. Walks, stretches, foot tapping, etc. will be used and encouraged in my classroom.
Finally, there are a few specific things that I would like to do in my classroom. First is to make sure that my students’ basic needs are met so that they can focus on learning. I would also like to have procedures in place for any student with special needs. I want that student to know that they are allowed to do certain things to alleviate their anxiety, hyperactivity, or even sleepiness. Lastly and probably most importantly is something I read about on day one of Intro to Education. It was the story of a teacher who took a private poll of each student. She asked them to choose four students they would like to sit with next week and to nominate one student who has been an exceptional classroom citizen. She did this to look for patterns of behavior of seclusion or inclusion. Who was popular last week and isn’t this week? Who doesn’t get noticed at all? The story said, and I agree, that this particular teacher was saving lives.
In closing, I want to be the nicest, most helpful, hardest working person you’ve ever met because those are the values that I wish to instill in those around me whether those people are my family, my students, or my friends.