Emily Clark

Philosophy of Education

I believe in a student-centered curriculum. Teaching should be about educating students to

benefit them in life and to prepare them for the world they will encounter. I believe each
student is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating environment in
which to learn and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. It is my goal as
an educator to help students fulfill their potential in these areas by providing an environment
that is safe, supports learning, and invites a sharing of ideas. Elements that I believe are
conducive to establishing such an environment include knowing and teaching learners as
individuals, allowance of intellectual freedom, setting up a safe and effective learning space,
and providing equitable education for all students.

It is vital that an educator knows the students as individuals. This includes knowing who they
are inside and outside of the classroom, as learners and as children. Children learn in a variety
of ways. It is important to know students’ strengths, learning styles, and interests in order to
practice student-centered learning. This can be done through surveys at the start of the year,
but also through simply building a relationship with the students to find out about their
interests. Bringing their preferences to the table during instruction not only grabs their
attention; it shows them that they are valued.

Students should be given intellectual freedom by having access to books and materials on a
variety of topics. These materials should feature people and characters who represent them
and those who are different than them. While censorship has its place when it comes to the
legal safety of children, I do not believe that it is the position of the school to decide what
students should and should not read, view, or discuss. They need to be aware of current issues,
potentially dangerous situations, and how to safely research and navigate sources in an ethical
manner. It is better that they should be taught how to peruse within the safe, secure
environment of a school and while under adult supervision, than to come across something on
their own that they potentially may not be prepared to handle.

The educational environment should be supportive of learning. The space should be both
physically and emotionally safe, as well as comfortable and inviting. A positive learning
atmosphere can be created through ambiance. For example, student work can be displayed;
colorful anchor posters may hang on the walls; soft music can play in the background while
students are working. Educators need to set up a “mental environment” as well with
management, communicating clearly what the expectations are for the classroom. Kindness
and respect should be standard in every classroom, not only for the students, but it should also
be modeled by the teacher. Consistency is important. This mentality in the classroom can be
extended by holding high expectations for all students and then scaffolding them to reach these
expectations.

Every student should be treated fairly and equally. This is not to say, however, that every
student should be treated the same. Educators should be caring towards all students, but
children are diverse, and that diversity should be embraced. After working with students of
 Emily Clark

various cultural backgrounds, I have seen how those students are often reached in different
ways. Sometimes the simplest things, such as speaking to them in their language (even if only a
couple of phrases are known), having books about their cultures available in the library and on
classroom shelves, or letting them write in their native languages can let them know that they
are an important part of the classroom community. Often it is necessary to go step-by-step and
at a different pace with speakers of other languages or with students who have special needs.
Learning should be differentiated according to the needs of the individual and should always be
centered around the students.