My Philosophy of Education

Allyson Kuntz

Psychology is a part of the educating process because the students are growing up while

they spend years in schools. They meet hundreds of people that impact their life, experience once

in a lifetime events, and discover things about themselves. They are learning as they grow.

Psychology studies the personality and why we do things. This is very important for social issues

in schools and can help explain why students are acting out or saying things. Students spend a lot

of time in school and around their peers. They are influenced by their family, teachers, and peers

the most. That is why it is our job to know what things to look for psychologically and to help

the students as much as we can with the time that we are spending with them. When the students

leave after those eight hours, it is out of our hands. All we can do is pray for them and trust that

we taught them well.

One developmental theory that I will incorporate into my teaching is Erik Erikson’s

Stages of Development. I have learned about this theory numerous times throughout my multiple

psychology courses, and I agree with most of his claims. Erikson’s theory takes place from

infancy to adulthood and discusses how external factors affect the child’s development. He

believes that the world around us and the actions of others affect our personal development. For

example, Erikson groups age groups together for each theory. He claims that during infancy,

which is birth to eighteen months old, the major trust is based on the mother and father’s ability

to care for the child’s physical needs. He believes that if a child does not feel like these needs are

being met, they may develop insecurity, mistrust, etc. I agree with this theory because everything

within your personality goes back to how you were raised. I will use this theory because the age
range for a child in school, and in my licensure area, can be applied to teaching in the classroom

and it makes a lot of sense. The theory says that a child between the ages of 6 and 12 is exposed

to more people and stressors. This stage is very social, and if there are negative experiences, such

as being bullied, the child will have some personal issues. The people in school are becoming

more important to the child during these ages. Knowing this information, I know that I need to

pay attention to the relationships between the students. Children may change their attitudes or act

out according to the children they are associating with. If a child is acting differently, the teacher

should pay closer attention to the students actions so they can take further action if needed.

These stages can be applied to teaching by allowing children to make their own decisions and

learn the consequences, allow students to create their own goals, provide opportunities for

students to incorporate their interests and identity into school work and activity, and help the

students find their personality by identifying strengths and weaknesses, interests, career choices,

and having regular teacher conferences to discuss progress in the classroom.

One learning theory that applies to my philosophy for teaching is behaviorism.

Behaviorism is shown through stimulus-responses and learned through interaction. This

approach emphasizes environment and external factors. It also stresses that behavior is learned

through operant and classical conditioning, which was one of my favorite topics in my

psychology courses. It also expresses that internal thoughts/feelings are expressed through

behavior. I will use this theory in the classroom because the conditioning processes fit in a

classroom very well. For example, using negative punishment, a form of operant conditioning,

when a student is acting out. Another example is conditioning the students to study and prepare

for tests better. You can do this by allowing them to use their own techniques for a few grades,
but then taking some class time to show some note taking techniques and studying techniques.

Encouraging them to use these strategies, if students use them before the next test, and see

improvement in their test grades, they may continue using the studying strategies. Some major

techniques using behaviorism in the classroom include complimenting good work and behavior,

punishment, and reward systems. These actions are small, but can make a big difference.

The tone of the classroom is set by the relationships between the students and teacher. It

is set by trust, respect, and effort. A classroom should feel like a second home. It should be a safe

space for the students to learn, play, express themselves, and grow as individuals. There are

many things that make a classroom a safe space, but the most important is the school being

secure and the administration being protective and responsible. Classrooms should be colorful

and decorated with inspirational quotes. The classroom should not be cluttered and messy; it

needs to have decent storage for materials. I want my seats arranged in groups so that the

students can do group work, and stay social, but the groups will be along the outside of the room

so they can see me teaching in front of the room. The groups will be arranged by fours and by

their knowledge, but the students will not know this. There will be one student who is a very

smart and positive influence, one or two who are average, and one or two who need some

guidance from their peers and may be farther behind in class. This way, the students can help

each other and they are separated equally throughout the classroom. The center of the class, in

the middle of the desks, can be used for reading time, presentations, games, readers theater, etc.

An open classroom feels less stressful and it leaves room for everyone to walk! If the classroom

is not positive, educational, and open, the students cannot learn effectively and the teacher

cannot teach effectively.

 The lesson you are teaching is a major part of the school day. A teacher may be smart in

the topic they are teaching, but if they cannot teach it to a classroom, they are not doing the

children any good. There are two parts to the lesson. One part is what the teacher has in mind,

the goals, the mental image of how the lesson is going to go, etc. This can be portrayed in a

lesson plan. The second part is the physical lesson of teaching the students. If it is not well

thought out before the physical lesson, it will not be effective. On the other hand, if the lesson is

well thought out, but is not physically depicted well, it will not be effective. So, an effective

lesson has to be both planned and taught well. Other aspects that create an effective lesson

include educating materials, an organized classroom, a positive teacher, clear statements, and

active students. I believe in keeping students engaged and active in the classroom. It helps them

learn and understand the lesson thoroughly. Some ways to do this are asking questions, games,

and group discussions/projects. All of these methods and parts that build an effective lesson can

be found in different teaching strategies.

When a teacher finds a strategy that they feel comfortable with, and one that works with

their classroom, they can stick to this strategy and make it their own. I believe I will not know

my strategy until I am a teacher, but I have a good feeling about Hands-On Learning. This is

because I am going to teach both early ages and special education students. Students at a young

age and with disabilities learn better with physical manipulatives, practicing tasks, and doing

hands-on work. I like certain aspects of all of the teaching strategies I have researched so far, but

hands-on learning is the most important and applicable to me so far.

The term that best describes a teacher’s responsibility in the classroom is “in loco

parentis.” This term means that when the child is at school, the teacher has the responsibility to
protect and discipline the student. There are standards and rules the teacher must follow when it

comes to these responsibilities. However, they are still in charge of the child’s safety. The

teacher is in charge of disciplining the student because they need to keep the students out of

trouble, they have to keep them safe and well behaved, and they have to keep the students

focused on their education. To be an effective teacher, the teacher has to be able to manage their

classroom and students. Teachers have to be able to control the students without getting angry or

upset, and be able to manage the classroom environment.

Every child comes from a different home, a different upbringing, a race, a religion, and a

their own personality. This means that as a teacher, you have to be able to teach all students. You

have to be able to change the lesson for a student with disabilities, spend extra time with students

that need help, and explain lessons differently for students who do not understand. Every student

is unique, diverse, and learns differently. Children learn at different paces and we have to be able

to adapt to their needs. Some examples of assisting the needs of all children are providing tools

for blind or deaf children during class, taking extra time with a student who is far behind,

provide further instructions for struggling students, provide a study area for slower learners, use

different teaching styles, provide learning materials, encourage expression of diversity, and be

someone for all students to talk to.

I think self-expression and creativity are very important. You can express yourself in

many ways such as art, music, sports, etc. In the classroom, you can see students expressing

themselves by creating art, stories, playing games, expressing emotions, and playing with peers.

Through self-expression, you can discover how a child is feeling, if something is wrong in their

home life, possible learning disabilities, and helps the children have a sense of individuality.
Promoting creativity promotes higher thinking. Some examples of self-expression and creativity

in the classroom are different art forms (drawing, painting, sculpting, etc.), games, recess,

Readers Theater, dramatic plays, and reading books. Expressing oneself in front of others teaches

the the child to be brave, be themself, and to express themselves. Without creativity and

self-expression, people would not be able to express themselves. Everyone expresses themselves

differently, and this needs to be promoted in the classroom. Children have to be taught to be

themselves, and to express their feelings rather than bottling them up.

Being a teacher is a calling. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone can be a teacher. It’s

quite difficult to know the material, be able to portray the information to the children in ways

they will understand, maintain the classroom, and create lessons that work for each child. It is a

challenging career, but it is a rewarding one. In order to teach, you have to be a positive person

and work well with children. For many children, school is the best part of their day. It is their

safe place and their home. So, it is our job to be the kind, loving, educator that they need to make

their day better.