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Taylor Shirley
EDU 201
Professor Saladino
April 22, 2020
Philosophy of Education
I chose to become a teacher to make a difference in the lives of many students. A

teaching career gives me the opportunity to greatly impact the lives of children. Growing up, I

was lucky to have been the pupil to many inspiring educators. The teachers I remember the most

are the ones who always had faith that all their students will succeed. These teachers introduced

unconventional and interactive ways of learning that engaged their students and made learning

fun.

Ever since I was young, I have babysat many young children. Having a love for children

and education is favorable in pursuing a teaching career. I believe that I have the passion and

creativity necessary to become an amazing educator. One of the most important skills a teacher

can possess is the ability to communicate. I have always been able to communicate information

to others effectively.

I understand that currently there are complexities in the Clark County School District. A

common complexity is expansion. The district is growing at a rapid pace and the need for

teachers and space for students will be ongoing. It is not ideal for a teacher to have an abundance

of children packed into one small classroom. Personally, I believe I can adapt and be able to

effectively give each child the attention and information they need to succeed.

As an educator, I believe I am responsible for providing children with positive learning

experiences. Children are unique individuals who need stable, stimulating, and nurturing learning
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environments. Positive learning experiences will motivate children to reach their full potentials

intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially. Cases such as Brown v. Board of Education

and Title IX, has set the stage for how I view children and schools. Amazing changes have been

made to guarantee every child is given equal opportunities to learn in a safe nurturing

environment.

I will introduce my students with different learning strategies such as mnemonic,

generative, and structural. These strategies will help children with memory retention, note taking

skills, and organization. Student centered instruction is important for students to communicate

and collaborate as a group. Student centered instruction can give students the opportunity to

work independently and ask questions. Students are more interested in instruction that requires

participation and interactions.

As a teacher it is important to embrace, and support student diversity. Students need to

learn that every child is unique and brings new strengths and ideas into the classroom. Students

vary in what method of learning works best for them. As an educator is important to introduce a

variety of visual, reading/writing, and kinesthetic methods of learning into my teaching.

Solutions for managing behavior stem from setting expectations for student behavior. Class

rules and behavior charts should be reviewed and placed in the classroom. Reinforcing these

behaviors is important for students to respect the classroom and each other. Consequences should

be established for undesirable behaviors and actions.

Systematic assessments will be given to students often to reveal if they have learned the

material that was taught. I will gain feedback to help improve my effectiveness and increase

student performance.
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Moving forward in a teaching career I need to embrace a willingness to change.

Embracing change will allow me to improve myself and my students’ learning. I plan on

finishing my associate degree in Elementary Education at CSN and then transferring to UNLV to

gain my bachelor's in Education. Within that time, I hope to have a teaching assistant job at an

elementary school. I would love to continue taking classes that allow me to meet new teachers

and students for field observations.