Christian Stokes

May 5, 2020

Teaching Philosophy

Regardless of where someone is from, how they grew up, or the culture that

they belong to, teaching is a profession for which everyone is familiar. Everyone has been

taught or has taught something in their life. Whether the lesson learned is a life lesson from a

grand-parent or a quick and frustrating lesson on how to tie your shoes by a parent, everyone

has been a learner at one point in their life. I believe that teaching in a personal setting and

teaching in a structured school setting are no different. I intend to teach within the guidelines

and standards set for me while keeping an open mind and with complete compassion and

respect for my students.

Across the country, teaching history is structured by standards and learning

objectives that are put into place by the state so students are learning specific content that will

appear later on the end of course exams. These standards and learning objectives can vary

state to state but they each serve as guidelines for teachers so that we can provide students

with the content that will prepare them for success on their exams. The North Carolina Social

Studies preamble states that there are two primary purposes of social studies. The first is to

“develop young people who are knowledgeable, critical, and capable of making informed

decisions about the world and their place in it.” The second purpose is “to prepare young

people to participate actively and responsibly in a culturally diverse, democratic, and

increasingly independent world.” I believe that teaching Social Studies in correspondence with

the state set standards, students are learning the required content for the course and learning
life skills that will apply to them after high school and for the rest of their life. These skills can

include voting, understanding democratic systems, and the importance of personal financing.

Teaching Social Studies can be a very challenging. There are countless

interpretations of historical events. I take pride in teaching a subject that carries so much

uncertainty and inconsistence like history does. I could stand at the front of a classroom and

lecture information every day and nobody would question the information and my students

would most likely not learn anything. Instead, presenting the information as uncertain facts,

and have students understand that history is a difficult subject with varying opinions and

observations will allow student to become more involved in learning and verifying content. I

believe that the standards are written out in way that gives teachers the opportunity to really

challenge students and give them the best understanding of historical context and research

practice possible.

Although it is the biggest part, being a teacher is not completely about providing

content of a specific topic to a group of students. Teaching is also about fostering an inclusive

and welcoming learning environment that allows students to feel safe and comfortable in the

classroom. Building relationships and providing advice for students is also something that

comes along with teaching. My personal goal is to have each of my students leave my

classroom and feel like they could personally reach out to me if they need anything. I want to

have my students interested in my content and be excited about learning in my classroom, but I

also want them to understand that teaching history is not all I am good for and that I am

available if they need me for outside of school reasons. I also realize that some of my future
students will be dealing with things that I could not possibly understand, and I will do my best

to accommodate those students.

While I understand that not every student will enjoy my teaching or be

comfortable reaching out to me, I still would like to try to leave a lasting positive impact on

each student I am privileged enough to teach. I intend to build positive and constructive

relationships with my students to increase their desire to learn and foster curiosity for new

things. Through teaching with the standards, an open mind, and maintaining respect for my

learners, I believe my goal is achievable. That is why I want to teach.

Sources:

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Social Studies Preamble:

“Preamble.pdf.” NC DPI, 25 Oct. 2010,

www.dpi.nc.gov/documents/curriculum/socialstudies/social-studies-preamble.