Chance Wenck

Intro To Education
Dec 14th 2021

My philosophy and beliefs about education is that every child is different and unique in
their own way and there is a path that allows them to live up to their highest potential if someone
takes the time to help them find the correct path, learn what they will need to follow it with
success and explain what is waiting at the end of that path if they stay focused and use the tools
and guidance given by myself or any future educator. Being a good educator or coach or
guardian boils down to simply caring about the person and their future well being and success in
life. Small acts today can have impacts beyond your wildest dreams in someone's future and that
is a powerful thing.

The role of a teacher is to teach and the role of a student is to learn and absorb the information
given to them. That sounds simple and basic but that is the core of both. As a teacher you need to
evaluate your students and realize what style of learning will best suit them and build a plan to fit
that criteria. A class of 12 students could have 2-6-4 kids that need different speeds of learning or
it could be 10 that are at the same speed level and 2 that need extra attention and a little different
path. The number one concern is that in the end all 12 kids are standing at the finish line or can
see it on the horizon. The students job is to take the knowledge given by the teacher and realize
that someone is taking time from their life to be in theirs for one soul purpose which is to make
them a better person today then they were yesterday through education and learning from the
skills they developed as an educator that lead them to be where they are in this very moment.
More important that that is to hopefully realize at the same time someone cares… cares about
them.

My views on curriculum/ strategies/ management in a classroom for me are grouped together

and might or could possibly change or be adjusted or possibly have a little more structure as I
advance from where I am now and then when I am actually certified and ready to begin forming
my own classroom and it’s foundation but this is my current belief. Curriculum is like a recipe
book. There are so many different recipes in this book and they all have exact instructions and
measurements and how they make that one item. I think you should take the recipe that you like,
follow the basic instructions that are a must have, but maybe substitute a few items or ass more
or less of certain spices because you know what you like and after all your are making the food
for you and your guest so why not make it with your own personal touch. All good teachers and
cooks add their own touch to everything they make and I truly believe that is what makes it
special. We will be given the tools and instruction over the next few years to be able to go into a
school if hired and turn a room with four walls and a bunch a tables and chairs and colorful stuff
all over the place and turn that into a space that for 9 months of a child’s life will forever be
ingrained in them forever based of what we can teach them in that room for those 9 months.
That's something that each teacher needs to create for themselves and there is a cookie cutter
version but I don’t think that style of classroom or teacher ever is remembered because cookie
cutter teaching isn’t made from scratch and thats what i want to do.

In conclusion I have for some reason waited this long to take a leap and do the hard work it takes
to get my degree and become a teacher. I always thought it would be too hard or too much work
or money or not enough time with work and kids ect ect ect. After my first couple times of being
a substitute teacher it all finally clicked and I said, “Hey, that was kind of fun, this teaching stuff
ain’t all that hard and I was pretty good at it I think!?!?” I have been able to take 20 years of
other jobs and work experience and people skills and interactions with great people and finally
know what I may not be meant to do but what I know I will love doing everyday and how hard I
will work to do my best for every kid I am able to teach over the next hopefully several decades
and someday a student will talk about how Mr. Wenck really made a difference in their lives.