Running head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 1

Personal Teaching Philosophy

Micayla Chapman

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2019

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Personal Teaching Philosophy

Statement of Philosophy

I want to be a teacher that forms positive, long-lasting, and impactful relationships with

her students. I desire to connect with students in a way that makes them feel valued, seen, heard,

and respected in and outside of the classroom. I believe that each student’s voice should be

listened to and understood as important because their lives carry value and purpose. A student

should feel empowered when they step in to my classroom and feel like they can take ownership

of their education. To have this kind of mentality means establishing from the beginning that I

take value in their presence and respect them as people. My future students should feel capable,

which would lead to them connecting to their peers and me, and thus they would be more likely

to contribute to the overall classroom environment in a positive, uplifting way. Secondary

English/Language Arts should be approached in a collaborative way and this approach should

impact the classroom daily.

To foster those relationships and an environment based on mutual respect, I would need

to take an interest and an understanding of family environments and communities to better

provide for the needs of the students within that community. I would want to have meaningful

conversations and be involved in their lives in extra-curricular ways like supporting them at their

sport games, competitions, or other ways that students can display their strengths and participate

in team-building exercises. Besides being involved with my students’ extra-curricular lives, I

would want to create and maintain a positive and affective climate by genuinely asking them

how they feel about a topic and gage their response or interest. I would have a place on my

display boards for students to put questions, comments, or concerns about what is happening in

the classroom so that the students know I am listening and taking note of their feedback. To
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maintain a culture of learning, I would be prepared so that the students have activities that are

valuable, but also engaging. I would create opportunities for one-on-one interaction and small-

group interaction so that they can understand that learning is a collaborative experience between

students and teacher. I would try and have a balance of typical assessments, but I want to have

opportunities for the students to be creative in their learning process to grow their understanding

of themselves and their passions.

Evolution of Beliefs

Over the years, my beliefs concerning my philosophy of education have developed since

gaining more experience in the classroom. I recognize that practically it can be difficult to know

the complete life story of every student especially in a secondary education classroom because

there could be over a hundred students at a time. However, I can make a lasting impact by my

enthusiasm and visible desire to teach. Whenever I have shown how excited I am to teach a

lesson, even if it is something as tedious as grammar or something along those lines, the students

are more engaged. My lasting impact is made by showing them how much I care about what I

am teaching and the value that I see in sharing that with the students. I still firmly believe that

understanding the community in which students are coming from will aid the understanding of

the microcosm within the classroom. In the classroom, respect, boundaries, and consistent

helpful feedback will foster positive relationships. These three elements feed into each other and

this has been evident in my practicum and student teaching experiences.

Statement of Goals

My goals as an educator and leader within the classroom consist of implementing

activities that help build relationships and start inquisitive discussions. During learning activities,

I expect students to be actively listening and interactively questioning. In terms of specific

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behavior, I would want my students to be focused. They need to be focused on what they are

learning, and this means that they can only have bathroom breaks or go to their lockers when I

am not teaching or providing instructional material to the whole class. The students can get up or

move around during group work or independent work, but this will vary depending on the size of

the classroom and how much free space is available. Students should not be talking while I am

talking because this is a distraction from the learning process. I would communicate these

expectations to the students on the first day and as a class. This will be written out and placed in

the classroom, so the students see it every day and make it a part of their school culture. The

parents would see it on parent nights, and I would want to have a written copy of the

expectations for the students to take home. The administration would know the expectations

when they walk into my classroom and see them in the room. They would also see that I often

refer to the expectations whenever there are disciplinary issues as a reminder or to positively

reinforce good habits and behaviors.

Integration of Faith

My Christian faith is a major aspect of my life and my passion for teaching. God has

provided me with my abilities and has placed this career path on my heart. I often think about

Romans 12:6-7 which says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then

serve; if it is teaching, then teach”, among other gifts (NIV). The importance of this verse is that

we are all given abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, for us to humbly serve in the Body of

Christ. God desires us to serve Him and each other because this helps to spreads the loving

goodness of Jesus Christ and the message of the Gospel. Teachers get the wonderful opportunity

to reach children, which is an opportunity that should not be taken lightly or for granted.