My Philosophy of Education
EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD
As someone at the beginning of my teaching career, my experiences in schools are continually shaping my perspective. I am confident that I have a solid starting point, but am eager to learn more about how to better serve students’ needs. Based on my experiences thus far, I have gained the following insights. Educating the “whole child” is a task that requires a uniquely nurturing, safe, and stimulating environment. Young children are rapidly developing physically, intellectually, socially, spiritually, and emotionally. Thus, the early years of schooling are vital years for instilling in children both the skills and values that they will practice for the rest of their lives. It is my hope and responsibility as a teacher to help students reach their full potential by providing a caring, safe, and open classroom that facilitates their development in all domains. I believe the most important elements to foster such growth include (1) creating a sense of competence for each child, (2) learning from the diverse experiences of others, (3) having a proficient and caring teacher, and (4) high levels of parental/caregiver involvement and communication.
My senior thesis research project titled “High School Dropouts: Factors that Contribute to Disengagement”, helped me to understand that children’s attitudes towards school are formed at the earliest ages. Thus, it is vital for each student to feel a sense of belonging and competence in order to form a positive affect towards school. To achieve this goal, it is first important to understand that children learn in various ways. Keeping this in mind, I hope to include both formal and informal assessments in my classroom, which will emphasize not only traditional markers of achievement, but also individual growth, skills, and successes. This combination of formal and informal assessment tools can help young children to understand learning, success, and progress not only based on a grade, but also on thorough written evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, I will use differentiated instruction to accommodate all learning styles, abilities, and interests. For example, using discussion, direct instruction, modeling, and direct experience can give each student the opportunity to succeed in their own way, thus fostering a sense of competence.
My philosophy also includes respecting others and learning from the rich variety of perspectives they have to offer. To promote such a mindset, I will begin the school year by explicitly stating the expectations for behavior. Setting the expectation for respect and communication will help build a more effective learning community. The responsibility of the teacher includes both teaching and modeling the values of a welcoming, understanding, and open community. Peer-to-peer interactions thrive in such a setting where they are encouraged and supported to seek help from and offer help to each other. By discussing diversity, we help children to not only accept difference, but to learn from it.
It does take a particular type of person to succeed in working with young children. Teaching at the elementary level requires a great deal of patience, confidence, enthusiasm, and emotional intelligence. These qualities are particularly important for ensuring that each student feels a sense of belonging within the school realm. My supervisor at Sauquoit Valley Elementary School, Paul Dischiavo, informed my perspective on providing this supportive student-teacher relationship for all students, even those who are difficult to teach. One student, for example, was struggling a great deal in class. He was often getting out of his seat, shouting out snide remarks in the middle of class, and hardly followed directions. When the teacher of this student came to Paul for advice, Paul simply asked her if she had spoken directly to the student about his difficulty. The teacher revealed that she had only tried punishments. Paul suggested having a conversation with the student to better understand his perspective, and to offer some support. This scenario illustrated the degree of patience and persistence required for providing particular students with the support they need. Throughout my childhood, I was fortunate enough to form supportive student-teacher relationships during a difficult time in my life. With my father in-and-out of the hospital, I was glad to always feel a sense of belonging in schools. I hope to provide all students with this same supportive and caring environment.
While teachers play an important role in a child’s life, learning and development are also shaped by other important people in their lives. When caregivers are involved in a child’s academic life, they send the implicit message that school is important. This demonstration of the importance of school is one of the most vital and simple ways that caregiver involvement affects student success. High levels of caregiver involvement can also create consistency between home and school, reinforce lessons learned in school, and encourage more stimulating experiences and conversations. I will aim to encourage caregiver involvement through learning activities that engage parents in working directly with their children. Additionally, parent-teacher conferences and other modes of frequent communication will keep parents up-to-date on their child’s school life.
In summary, I am committed to providing a learning environment that supports diversity, encourages understanding, provides empathy, and strengthens caregiver involvement. I will devise various assessment strategies that allow me to fairly assess student learning, regardless of the student’s learning styles. I will encourage a community in which children both accept diversity and seek to know more. Above all, I will treat my students with the utmost kindness and respect, creating an environment in which they feel safe and a sense of membership. I pride myself on treating each student as an individual, who can learn when the proper mechanisms are in place. With these foundational goals in mind, I hope to build my knowledge, skill, and confidence to learn how to better educate the whole child, one child at a time.