Victoria Cousins 1

Teaching Philosophy
As a teacher, my job is to facilitate learning. In my opinion, learning is
taking in new information from experiences that expands skill and
understanding in the student. Learning occurs when a student overcomes
getting stuck, making a mistake, or misunderstanding. Learning and
mastery, in my understanding, do not come from making a certain grade, but
rather from the ability to connect new information to previous information,
making it usable and applicable to life. Knowledge means nothing without
action. I believe that my role as a teacher is complex. I am a facilitator and a
guide to the students leading them to discovering new knowledge. I am a
motivator for students who need someone to believe in them and hold
accountable for higher expectations. I am an entertainer, grabbing the
attention of the students and doing whatever is necessary to keep them
interested and engaged. I believe that a teacher holds many positions
representing one purpose: the students success.
My values as a teacher drive my teaching style and lessons. At the
beginning of each year, I will set an expectation of respect in my classroom.
Each student should be treated equally and should have equal attention and
support to learn and grow. I want my class to be a family that supports each
other. I value my faith, and through my actions in the classroom, my
students will see the value honesty, fairness, and acts of compassion and
mercy. I will encourage my students to be their best self and to set high
standards for themselves. To model the importance of life-long learning, I will

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tell my students new information that I learn each day and will show my
enthusiasm for learning in my lessons. Students in my classroom will actively
participate in lessons through discussion, group activities, and asking
questions. In the classroom, I will model and instruct my students to think
critically by asking higher order thinking questions and posing real life
situations that require problem solving and creativity skills.
Interaction with my students is an important aspect of my personal
teaching philosophy because of my own experiences with extraordinary
teachers. To me, interaction with students is the heart of what a teacher is
because it means knowing what type of interaction a student needs to learn.
I believe that students need to know that you care for them and their
success above all. In some circumstances, the teacher may be the only one
pulling for a student or making sure the student is on track. I want my
students to know that I believe in them and their success. Even if it takes
some time out of the day, I want to check on each student one-on-one to
check up on them. Children need to be loved. When a parent, teacher, or
principal walks into my room they will see a teacher expecting the best from
her students, a positive student-teacher relationship, and an active
classroom. I want to work with children because they are our future doctors,
Presidents, lawyers, scientists, and citizens of the democracy we live in. I
want to support and motivate them to be life-long learners.
I believe it is important to set high goals with students, including a set
plan to reach their goals. My goal is for my students to obtain the skills to

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problem solve, think independently, hold responsibility, and set high moral
standards for themselves. I believe that these goals, focused on both
character education and academics, are what result in a responsible citizen
in our democracy. Classroom rules will be discussed as a class, and the
students will understand the consequence for the actions they choose to
take, good or bad. I believe in using many methods when teaching, to meet
each students interests and needs. I will use group work in class to foster
community and cooperation and to expose students to many viewpoints
within the classroom. I will use direct instruction and independent work, as
well, to ensure that students understand the material. I want the students in
my class to learn by discovery and doing. Throughout the lesson, I will
integrate other areas, such as music, movement, and literature. Along the
way, I will use many different types of assessment. I will not only rely on
traditional tests, but I will also implement portfolios, projects, and
presentations to have a well-rounded view of the students knowledge and
participation in the classroom. If I try everything in my toolbox, and my
student is still struggling, I will ask other teachers for advice, invite a
colleague to observe, or research for strategies that may help.
As a teacher, it is important to never stop growing and learning. I will
always strive to the change things for the better, and I will never settle.
Professional development is a major contributor to my growth as a teacher. I
will attend seminars and workshops, enroll in classes, read professional
articles, and research new methods. My professional goals are to always try

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new things in the classroom, always reflect, and always have an open mind
to change. I make sure to reflect by journaling and asking for student input
on a lessons success. I will learn new skills by observing others, reading
articles and testing them, and through my professional development. I will
know my teaching is successful when my students can apply their knowledge
to their own lives. One day far from now, I hope that I have my students
come back to me and say that they learned valuable lessons in my
classroom, and that I made an impact on their life.