RUNNING HEAD: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Philosophy of Education Erica Eberius North Greenville University September 23, 2013

RUNNING HEAD: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION Abstract It is my philosophy that I, as a teacher, am responsible for students; the way they learn, how they feel about themselves, and the way that do research to continue learning. In short, I am to be an Effective Practitioner, Caring Leader, and Lifelong Learner ( Teacher Education handbook, 2013). By doing this I will be able to show my students that I am an effective and impactful teacher through the way that I manage my classroom, supply my students with the desire to learn, show them that I care for them, and teach them how to use technology to aid in learning. Not only will I impact students through this philosophy but I will show them that I truly care for them as individuals. My students are important to me and see them learning and grasping concepts confirms that I have been called to teach.

RUNNING HEAD: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION Philosophy of Education It is critical that I develop and define my philosophy of education. Doing so allows me to know and understand why I do everything in my classroom. Each thing that I do in my

classroom has a reason and purpose behind it and therefore, needs to be based on my philosophy. The philosophy that I have defined for myself is based on three major factors; being an Effective Practitioner, Caring Leader, and Lifelong Learner ( Teacher education handbook, 2013). By living by these guidelines in my philosophy I will be able to be a teacher that impacts and instills a desire to learn in my students. Effective Practitioner I believe that all students can learn because humans are all created with a desire and drive to learn. As an effective practitioner I help students to learn by including them in interactive lessons and engaging activities. I am able to motivate my students to do their best and give every assignment their all. My students always have their desires to learn met with lessons that spark their curiosity and spur them on to desire to learn more. My desire is to encourage and motivate students in and outside the classroom through daily lessons that are related to everyday situations. Learning is not just inside the margins of a textbook, rather in the day to day activities that my students and I encounter together. I have been in classrooms with both impactful and non-impactful teachers. The teachers that I model myself after are the impactful teachers; the ones that made learning come alive to me. I do not want my students to leave my room with only knowledge. I desire for them to leave with a drive and desire to learn as much as they can about the things they will encounter in life. By being an influential teacher I will live out my calling to teach. This calling was made apparent when I

RUNNING HEAD: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION began to instruct riding lessons. While different than being in a classroom, the structure of the lessons made my love for teaching apparent. I continued to pursue teaching and have been called to teach since the first lesson that I taught.

I believe that I must create an environment for my students that is a safe and inviting one. If a student enters an environment that is hostile and uninviting they will shrink as learners. However, when a student enters an environment that is inviting they are more apt to succeed at learning. I will create a safe learning environment for my students by providing them with consistent routines and procedures along with effective classroom management. The consistency in my procedures will provide my students with the knowledge and reassurance that my procedures will not change on a whim. I will remain consistent for my students so that they are reassured of the safety to ask questions, to investigate, and to learn in my classroom. Along with consistent procedures and routines I believe that my students learn best when my expectations and standards are laid out for them. My students will always know what I expect from them as learners because as a teacher I will make sure it is known. Each lesson and assignment given to my students begins with the expectations for the lesson or assignment being explained. When I do this my students have a chance to ask questions and clarify the directions before beginning which leads to student success. I believe that students retain what they are learning best when they are involved in lessons because they are engaged. I will always be sure to engage my students in activities that target all kinds of learners from kinesthetic and auditory to visual learners ( Willingham). I create my lessons with my students in mind and not just the standards being taught. This allows my lessons to be enjoyable and relatable to my students. All of these are critical to the obtainment of knowledge for my students.

RUNNING HEAD: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION Caring Leader A classroom teacher above all must be a good role model for students in the classroom. As a student my teachers were excellent role models for me. I was always able to look up to them and see consistency in them in and out of school. My goal is to remain the same person in school and out of school for my students. I am the same person in both places therefore, whether I am in the classroom or out in public the way that I act and my attitude should remain

the same. If I were to act differently outside of school than I do inside I would be compromising my integrity as a consistent, reliable, and honest person. If I am not reliable and consistent my students will not trust me or look up to me. I need to show my students that I care for them as individuals through my actions and example that I set for them. I believe that as a Caring Leader (Teacher Education Handbook, 2013) it is my job to make my students feel valuable. When I make my students feel valuable my students will have higher self-efficacy and success in and out of the classroom. The reason for them having higher self-efficacy and success is simply because anyone likes to receive a compliment, be told they are important, and to be shown that someone cares about them. I will be sure to compliment my students along with encouraging and motivating them to do their best. I have seen a childs eyes light up when I have told them, You can do it! You are so smart! Knowing that I can put a smile on a students face when they are feeling discouraged and feeling like they cannot do it, makes each moment in the classroom worth it. The feeling that I had, when I was able to help a student through a discouraging moment in a lesson, motivates me to be an encourager and someone that always cares for my students even when they might feel like no one cares. A classroom environment that promotes student success is critical for my students. It is my job to foster that environment so that I can set my students up for success. One way that I

RUNNING HEAD: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

will create this environment is to relate everything that goes on in my classroom to everyday life so that my students see value in what they are learning. By giving lessons and concepts value they will not just be a skill to be mastered from a textbook, but rather a skill that is tangible and has value for real-world situations. This is one of the most important parts of my job to be a Caring Leader (Teacher Education Handbook, 2013). Lifelong Learner I believe that I must continue to learn new teaching strategies and new material. By continuing my education after obtaining my Bachelors Degree I will set an example for my students that learning does not have an end. There is always something new to learn, a new idea to explore, or a new skill to master. I hope that all of the students that I impact throughout my teaching career will see my aspiration to learn new things and to never quit learning. Seeing students light up when they grasp a new concept is by far one of the greatest joys of being in the classroom and it is one reason why I teach. In the classroom it is my responsibility to use technology as a doorway into greater learning. Technology is a critical tool that should be used appropriately to aid in learning. It is not a way to simply obtain answers but a way to research and seek out the answers that they are looking for. I will model for my students the appropriate ways to use technology in the classroom through the promethean board, educational search engines, and videos to aid in student understanding. By setting this example my students will be able to use technology to open the doors into a vast amount of research and resources to aid in the learning process. Learning is not just done in the classroom but every day through our normal activities and should never cease. Conclusion

RUNNING HEAD: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

In conclusion, it is my philosophy that I, am responsible for students; the way they learn, their self-efficacy in the classroom, and the way that they learn and do research to continue learning. In short, I am to be an Effective Practitioner, Caring Leader, and Lifelong Learner (Teacher education handbook, 2013). By doing this I will be able to show my students that I am an effective and impactful teacher through the way that I manage my classroom, supply my students with the desire to learn, show them that I care for them, and teach them how to use technology to aid in learning. Not only do I impact students through this philosophy but I will show them that I truly care for them as individuals. My students are important to me and see them learning and grasping concepts confirms that I have been called to teach.

RUNNING HEAD: PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION Reference Teacher Education Handbook. (2013). Tigerville, SC: North Greenville University Willingham, Daniel T. . (n.d.). Reading Rockets. In Do Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Learners Need Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Instruction?. Retrieved October 6, 2013, from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/12446/.