Karen Sanchez

Spring 2015
Philosophy of Education
I believe that the purpose of education is to ensure that each child
is given the opportunity to reach intellectual achievement, increase
personal growth through experiences, and to develop a love for
learning, as they are the leaders of tomorrow. As a teacher, I will help
my students be successful in all of these areas by providing them with
infinite learning opportunities to help them accomplish their greatest
potential as learners and to help them attain their own personal goals. I
believe that for learning to be successful, it must happen in a positive,
risk-taking, safe, and stimulating environment. My role as an educator is
to establish this setting by advocating for respect, encouraging students
to develop their own voice, and allowing students to explore and create
experiences. It is also my role as an educator to use effective classroom
management techniques as well as to be a guide for my students. My
classroom will be one that is student-centered where learning is inquirybased, relevant, and hands on. My overall goal is to make learning
meaningful, fun, and exciting for my students.
Every individual student is unique and possesses his or her own
strengths and weaknesses. I truly believe that each child can learn with
adequate tools and support. Because every child is unique and
demonstrates different learning styles, it is important to provide each
with the tools required for successful learning. To accomplish this goal, I
will teach to the needs of each student by having multiple methods of
learning through group work, independent work, hands on learning for
my tactile learners, lectures for my auditory learners, and PowerPoint
and multimedia for my visual learners. Because students are the leaders
of tomorrow, I believe it is my job to help them become independent
and critical thinkers by providing them with opportunities for selfdiscovery and inquiry based learning which will benefit them long term.
I also believe that it is extremely important to make learning
relevant to the students by incorporating their interests, and also
making learning meaningful. Integrating my students interests will help
them develop an intrinsic motivation and passion for learning. Every
classroom is unique and bringing in my students funds of knowledge
and background will also allow me to bring a sense of diversity and
community into our learning. A community of learners who respect one
anothers differences is a quality that will help my students be
successful in, and out of, the classroom. My classroom will also be a
place where students feel needed, valued, encouraged, motivated, and
cared for.
Teaching is a life-long learning process that has continued to help
me grow as a person and as an educator. I am constantly learning from

my mentors and colleagues about new strategies and philosophies, from

the school community, and especially from my students. These children
bring me joy and they remind me everyday why I love what I do. While I
gain more practical experience, I will continue to better my teaching
strategies and methods to be the best that I can be for my students.