InTASC Standard Nine: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice

The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses

evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the
effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families,
other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to
meet the needs of each learner.

Name of Artifact: Personal Philosophy of Education

Date: April 19, 2015
Course: EDUC 101: Introduction to Teaching

Brief Description: Summarized my core educational beliefs about the purpose,

practices, and role of a teacher in the learning process.
Rationale:
By writing my own personal philosophy of education and advising it throughout
my schooling, I was able to evaluate my practice this far in my education. In this
document I stated my goals, how I am going to teach, and how I will incorporate
my instruction to meet the needs of all my students. I also planned on how I will
include the diversity of the community and the parents of the students in the
classroom. I even gave several ideas on how I will teach the content, but also
advance the curriculum to my values and goals. My philosophy states my views
about this profession as of right now. However, when I continue to grow as a
teacher, I will learn even more to advance the learning for my students.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Personal Philosophy of Education

My overall goal in life is to be successful in my professional life by providing
knowledge, care, and encouragement to my students. Teaching for me is not just a job or having
a love for children; it is my inspiration and passion. I want to be someone that my students can
look up to as a role model. Carl Jung once said An understanding heart is everything in a
teacher. One looks back with appreciation at the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those
who touched our human feeling. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth
is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child (Koch, 1954). Like Carl
Jung, I believe by being a caring teacher, the student is more likely to reach their full potential.
Although this journey is filled with obstacles and countless responsibilities, I am more than
willing to take on those challenges to help students prosper in their education. Education is very
important for children because it helps them learn skills to succeed in the future. As a future
teacher, I am determined to give them the quality education they need to succeed both inside and
outside the classroom.
I want to incorporate all my students skills and interests in my classroom, including my
own. I am a very colorful person and love to express my creativity in everything I do. I believe in
a creative classroom, filled with brightness and individuality. Creativity will be incorporated in
my lesson plans and the environment of the classroom. I feel that this will work best with
younger grades, because that is when their imagination is the strongest. Kindergarten has always
been, and always will be, my preferred grade in the education field. This is a very crucial age,
when children gain the basic fundamentals of knowledge and everyday life skills. It is important
for me to create a uplifting environment for them to learn this information in. Kindergarten
students are full of excitement and ready to learn, and I want to be a guiding part of that.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Diversity and disabilities in my classroom will not be unnoticed. In every classroom I

have, there will be many differences with each child. One example would be, not every child
learns the same and might have a different learning style than their peers. If a child has a
disability, I will treat them just like everyone else and work hard to blossom their strengths and
address their specific style of learning. Every child given the chance can reach any goal they set
their mind to. All I ask from my students is their best effort towards learning and reaching goals.
I want the children to be able to be themselves in my classroom. Individuality is important to me,
and I will make sure that my students know not to be afraid of who they are. There will be many
different cultures, races, and beliefs in my classroom and all will be recognized. I will be
accepting of these differences and I am excited to learn from them as well.
I believe that children learn best through hands on experience and also through group
projects. When students are being actively involved in an activity and using their fine or motor
skills, the knowledge tends to stick with them better. However, this is not the case for all
students. It is important for me to be flexible in my instruction style to better fit the variety of
learning styles. Since I want to teach kindergarten, I believe that round tables are very effective
for these students because it helps them grow in their social development. This is the age where
some students are initially shy and have a hard time communicating with others. Sharing a table
with three other students will help them work on communicating and getting to know their peers.
This arrangement will also allow me to communicate to the group or even individually when
needed. Due to this arrangement, I will try to incorporate more group activities because of the
benefit it has on their social development. To avoid unnecessary talking, I will figure out the best
seating arrangement that would support both learning and social interaction; this may take some
time.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Along with creativity and individuality, an effective classroom should be well organized
and be a safe environment for the students. I will not tolerate harassment in my class, and there
will be appropriate actions done to stop this kind of behavior. I expect my students to be
welcoming to fellow classmates and their different beliefs. It is important for my classroom to be
a safe place because it might be the only safe environment that they have. They need to be able
to feel welcome in my classroom in order for me to help them grow in their education. Even
though I will be the one giving the instruction, I too will also learn many things. Throughout the
year, I will discover new ways and techniques that my students learn best with. I will be flexible
with my lesson plans, and try to change them accordingly to fit the needs of each and every one
of my students. I want to not only teach my students, but also learn from them.
I want my students, their parents, and faculty to know that I am extremely dedicated to
this profession and will do anything to help my class succeed. In my classroom I will encourage
parent involvement. A New Wave of Evidence concludes that "When schools, families, and
community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in
school longer, and like school more" (New Wave of Evidence, 2002). I believe that parent
involvement is very beneficial and crucial to a childs education, when parent support is evident
both in the classroom and at home. I know this job requires many responsibilities, and I know I
will encounter some hard times. However, my students are well worth it. I am willing to put all
my effort into being an inspiring teacher, and making sure that my students reach their full
potential.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

References
Koch, J. (2014). Teach (Student ed.). Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
NEA Members. (2002). [Research spotlight on parental involvement in education]. Retrieved
September 22, 2013, from National Education Association website:
http://www.nea.org/tools/17073.htm