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Personal Teaching Philosophy

Jasmine Erickson

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2018

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My Goals

My goal as a teacher is to inspire children to work hard, do their best, and help prepare

them for whatever God may call them to do in the future. Every student comes to the classroom

with different talents, skills, and learning styles. It is my role as a teacher to help them grow in

their knowledge and problem solving skills so they can be successful. This can only be

accomplished by nurturing the abilities of individual students and differentiating course content

to help every student do their best at school. If students are unchallenged, frustrated, or bored

they will end up hating school and will not put their best efforts into their work. However, if

students are given choices, encouragement, and are taught at a level that is appropriate to their

needs they will thrive.

I have found the best way to encourage students to work hard is to help them have

ownership in their education. It is easy to integrate choices into curriculum that will increase the

level of student investment in their schoolwork. For example, students could be allowed to

choose from a variety of biographies from a similar time period for a social studies lesson. The

students could then compare and contrast the perspectives of the differing historical figures and

could share their knowledge with their classmates. This has the dual benefit of allowing students

to pursue learning that interests them while also bringing more depth to the lesson. If students

are curious and excited to learn they will continue having a thirst for learning long after they

leave the classroom environment.

One of the biggest things I’ve noticed, regardless of age or grade, is how much students

desperately seek approval and affirmation. Almost daily students have approached me asking if

their work was “good enough” or if I felt their work was worthy of sharing with their peers. It is
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very important to give positive feedback to students along with constructive critiques of their

work that encourage them to pursue excellence. Instead of pointing out flaws that can be easily

found, it is important to acknowledge what they did right and how changing one or two things

could make what they were working on that much better. Students radiate pride when they are

affirmed and they will work diligently if they know how much they are valued.

Differentiation based on level of skill and learning styles is also a significant component

of a quality education. Students all have a variety of talents and skills; so, it is important to

acknowledge this and plan the curriculum accordingly. It is easy for students that are gifted to

feel out of the learning experience since they catch on to things quickly and are often a grade or

two above their peers in many subjects. It is imperative that these students are able to be

challenged and encouraged to pursue excellence. It is equally important to help struggling

students receive an adequate amount of support to assist them in catching up with their peers.

Differentiation encourages teachers to accommodate all learners in the classroom.

Evolution of Beliefs

At the beginning of my teaching journey I thought that becoming a successful teacher

was primarily about mastering classroom and time management. After all, a classroom that is in

chaos is a classroom where no learning can be accomplished. While that is true, I did not realize

how those were only a very small component of a productive classroom. As I have become more

adept at classroom management, I realize that it truly only plays a minor role in quality

education. Time management is also not as stringent as I first believed, since most practicing

teachers favor ensuring student comprehension over adherence to a strict time schedule.
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Classroom management was at first a challenge for me because I did not want to appear

cold or mean. However, I quickly came to realize that being firm and giving clear guidelines

was actually the most loving approach. The students really appreciated not having to deal with

constant interruptions, and the ones that were disciplined were quick to acknowledge that

consequences were due to their own actions. However, I also realized that the biggest thing I

needed to work on was continually praising students for their good behavior. Not only is this an

effective classroom management technique, but it helps builds self-esteem and confidence. So,

my focus shifted from an emphasis on classroom management to positive reinforcement.

Time management was also an area that I overestimated. I have seen firsthand that it is

more important to ensure students grasp the content of classroom instruction than to stick to a

tight timeline. For example, one day may have ten minutes less of math because the students

needed the time more in language arts. It is far better to allow students the time they need to

fully grasp a concept than to leave things unfinished due to strict adherence to a schedule.

Learning this flexibility has really assisted me in becoming a more successful teacher.

I realize that the most important part of teaching is nurturing student’s natural abilities

and assisting them with their weaknesses. By differentiating classroom lessons and encouraging

ownership in their education, teachers guide students towards the pursuit of excellence. It is also

important to provide positive affirmation when students succeed so that they have the confidence

needed to continue pursuing their goals for the future.

Integration of Faith

It can be a challenge working as a Christian in a secular public school environment.

Integrating faith into a classroom setting is frowned upon by society. However, Exodus 18:20
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(NIV) states that we need to teach “his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are

to live and how they are to behave.” It is possible to achieve this goal without breaking school

religious conduct codes. Since Christ’s love is flowing through us, it should be a natural outflow

to instruct children in such a way that they feel loved and are taught the difference between right

and wrong. By using effective positive reinforcement as a classroom management technique, I

am helping guide students in righteous living, even if I am not outright stating it.

I am fulfilling the will of God simply by following the call to teach. As it says in

Romans 12:6-7 (NIV), “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If

your gift is ...teaching, then teach.” This is a wonderful gift that God has given, and I take the

pursuit of excellence in teaching seriously. I constantly pursue ways to improve my teaching

skills and make the classroom environment filled with the goodness of God. As it says in

Colossians 3:23 (NIV), “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the

Lord, not for human masters…” If we approach teaching as though we were carrying out the

work of God (which we are) then we should attempt to do our very best every day.

It is my heartfelt desire that students grasp how important they are to God, and shown

how they have each been given gifts and talents that can edify the entire classroom. By

accommodating various learning styles and encouraging relationship building it is my hope that

students will thrive under my instruction.