Philosophy of Education



Philosophy of Education

“To furnish the means of acquiring knowledge is...the greatest benefit that can be conferred upon mankind.” John Quincy Adams

Education has always been a part of my life, yet it was not always a positive experience. I have known since elementary school that I wanted to become a teacher and that choice was further confirmed in the 5th grade. My 5th grade math teacher was very hard on me, and being a young girl whose strength was not mathematics, I did not do well. It was because of this teacher that I had my first negative experience in education. Ever since then I knew that I wanted to become a teacher who allowed her students to find their strengths, rather than focus only on their weaknesses.

I believe that the teacher in an elementary classroom needs to have a classroom management policy that maintains order in the classroom. This enables learning to take place. The classroom management policy should consist of a set of clear expectations of how the students should behave. This is done by having well-defined rules and procedures established in the classroom. The policy also needs to have a well thought out system of rewards and punishments. This allows the students to be held accountable for choosing whether or not to follow the rules.

While reading, writing, and arithmetic are extremely important for elementary students to learn, they are simply the basics. I believe that the content an elementary classroom teacher should teach goes far beyond 1+1=2. Teaching young students to think critically, build their problem solving skills and to work well with others is just as important. These are the skills that in the future, will allow them to become successful, productive members of our society.

I believe that teaching is an art. While text books and worksheets do need to be used in an elementary classroom, they should be supplemental learning materials. These materials should not dominate instruction. Active learning is essential in teaching because it allows the learner to appreciate what he or she is experiencing. Students should also be able to apply what they are learning to their own lives, as well as, real world situations. Differential instruction is also a very important part of an elementary classroom because it allows all students to be reached despite differences in individual learning styles.

Overall, I believe that an elementary classroom teacher should be preparing his or her students for a life long learning journey. Motivating students and allowing them to be excited about learning is of the utmost importance. Taking the time to show each and every student they he or she matters, and allowing each student to find his or her own strengths is also a very important value of mine. No student should be allowed to fall through the cracks of the educational system. No student should go through his or her educational career thinking “I cannot succeed”, but rather “I will succeed”.

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