Philosophy of Education - Michigan State University



Philosophy of Education

One of my main goals as a teacher is to help all students acquire scientific and mathematical literacy, as defined by the Michigan state standards. I want my students to be able to describe and explain real world phenomena and processes because decision making frequently involves scientific and mathematic knowledge. I believe that students learn best from an enthusiastic teacher who makes learning engaging and interactive. Influenced by the Chinese proverb, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand”, I encourage a student centered environment where students are consistently active in their own learning. As a teacher, I motivate students by providing authentic experiences through inquiry and investigational-based methods, such as data collection, experiments, and field studies. I also show them how valuable knowledge can be as I help them connect concepts to their lives and personal interests.

I employ multidimensional teaching strategies in order to provide for different learning styles and to encourage different ways of thinking about various topics. My pedagogical methods include reading, writing, discussing, debating, experimenting, teaching others, demonstrating, and working in cooperative groups, all of which are shown to significantly increase students’ learning retention rates. To be truly literate in a discipline, students must be able to read, speak, and write the content. To promote practice and ensure understanding, I model processes, activities, procedures, and investigations for students. I then coach students through similar activities, encouraging and supporting them while providing constructive feedback.

Another important goal for me is to teach students skills that enable them to be productive and responsible members of society. Small and large group activities, class discussions, and collaborative projects help students attain leadership, communication, decision making, conflict management, and social skills necessary for life. To teach responsibility, I set high, but reasonable expectations and hold students to them. I encourage students to be organized and manage their time by using a daily planner. I also model different note-taking and study skill strategies for students to help them develop methods of organizing and studying information that work best for them.

To help students succeed, it has always been beneficial to have open lines of communication with parents. To encourage parental involvement, I send home welcome notes in September introducing myself and the class I’m teaching, explaining my expectations, and describing events for parents like open houses and conferences. I encourage parents to e-mail, call, or conference with me to address any concerns, and I ensure them that I will do the same. I also have a website where parents can learn about current and upcoming class activities.

Living in the dynamic world we do, learning is a life-long process. I am interested and willing to learn more about science, math, technology, and teaching. Staying current on content areas and issues in education allow me to provide the most valuable assistance to my students. I also aspire to have a close relationship with my colleagues to share ideas, resources, and information, as well as work as a team to promote student learning.

It is my belief that teaching students successfully should involve a group effort between students, teachers, and parents.

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