Sydne Hooper

EDU 201

19 November, 2022

Philosophy of Education

My dream was always to be a lawyer, a police officer, or something else in the law

enforcement field. I wanted to go to law school and learn how to help people; I never thought I

would enjoy working with children. In fact, I often avoided children in fear that I was not good

with them. It was not until I learned my favorite people to help are the youngest and brightest

ones, that I realized my full potential and calling.

When I was looking for my first job, there was a small family owned indoor playground

near my home. It was a business that was looking to franchise and needed to hire more

playground attendants. I did not want to work fast food or retail, so I took my chances and

applied. I got the job and spent 50-60 hours a week working for an entire year. In that time, I got

close to many of the children, often expecting them on their regular days. I would get excited to

see certain children, and they would be so happy to see me working. I felt a sense of guilt leaving

that job, because I knew I would miss the kids I loved seeing. I applied for all sorts of jobs, and I

ended up at a daycare.

The daycare I worked at taught me the closeness and safety children can feel in one

person. There were kids that would open up to me about their home life. They would confide in

me about their feelings and their fears. I would go home everyday with coloring pages decorated

for me, with my name written across the top in crooked capital letters. Rainbows drawn on scrap

paper with the red touching the blue and green near the purple. Their innocence drew me in; I

loved being somewhere for them to go. I enjoyed listening to them and being their friend.
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EDU 201

19 November, 2022

Unfortunately, I was treated very unfairly by the staff at that job, so I had to leave after

about six months. I got a job at a preschool, a very prestigious one at that. The children at this

school come from parents that are athletes, estate attorneys, ER surgeons. I was shocked when I

got the job, as my experience was mostly what I had studied about child development and

babysitting around my neighborhood. The director, my now boss, told me I was one of the most

knowledgeable interviews she has ever had, in regards to child development.

“You understand children,” is something she said that has stuck with me. My students are

my pride and joy, and my classroom is my happy place. I love my job more than anything. My

childhood was definitely on the rough side, dealing with abuse and an alcoholic parent. I feel that

that experience has made me extremely empathetic when it comes to hardships children may be

facing at home. I offer them comfort and safety. I want to be a place they can go when they need

to forget their struggles. At this school, there is an amazing kindergarten teacher, whom I have

had the pleasure to do my field observation with. Erin Franklin is the epitome of perseverance.

She works harder than anyone I have ever had the courtesy of working with. Even when she is

exhausted, she goes above and beyond for her students. Observing her class has shown me a

level of passion I have never seen before. It has motivated me to always give my best, even if

that takes all I have for the day.

The educational philosophy that best describes my personal teaching style is social

constructivism. I believe people learn best from being surrounded by different people, cultures,

and lifestyles. Social constructivism is dependent on the collaborative nature of learning, relying

on exposure to different people within society as a form of education. It is very important for

me,
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EDU 201

19 November, 2022

as a teacher, to expose my students to all types of people and beliefs so no one feels unseen or

alone. Similar to social constructivism, constructivism itself is a psychological orientation that I

feel very aligned with. It is based around the same idea; that people must construct their own

education from the things and people around them, almost by learning from experiences.I believe

for children especially, their education is not only by the books, but also found in day to day life

learning to handle different situations.

History is a huge part of understanding how far the educational system has come. A

historical event I feel connected with is the case of Brown V. Board of Education. This case was

what ended the segregation of schools in the United States, allowing white children and children

of color to go to school together. I find this extremely important because I hold great emphasis

on children learning from being surrounded by different people and cultures. By allowing

students of different skin tones to learn together, they are learning both about their lifestyle but

also how to love everyone. I cannot imagine teaching in a place where only one ethnicity or race

was allowed in my classroom, so Brown V. Board of Education definitely means a lot to me and

my educational philosophy.

I believe in scaffolding lessons to fit wherever a student may be learning wise. When I

make my lesson plans for my preschoolers, I always make a base level of the activity, along with

a level up and below for those who may need a challenge or more help. I will definitely

implement flexible learning by catering to how different students may learn. I can do this by

incorporating songs, visuals, hands-on activities, and written notes. Student learning is not

always a straight shot to the end result. It takes some extra time to understand material, and that
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EDU 201

19 November, 2022

is completely okay. Student diversity is something I find extremely helpful and important to the

classroom environment. Students need to feel represented and as though they fit in, so I will be

sure to teach about many different family types and ethnicities.

Something I tend to disagree with in the school system is assessments being so weighted.

I believe that even the best of students cannot be accurately depicted through an assessment.

Many other factors go into how well a student may perform, such as level of rest prior, anxiety

levels, food intake/empty stomach, or even just distractions during the test. Assessments can be

helpful if they are done correctly, such as not relying on them for the only data about how a

student is understanding. Assessments in my opinion, should be worth less credit so they are not

such a stressor and instead be used as a map for the teacher. Students work and attention to

lessons should also be an indicator of their understanding, not just one singular test or exam.

Something I have learned by working with preschoolers is that the golden attribute for

teachers is patience. Teachers have to have an amount of patience that is untouched by anyone. I

also think empathy and kindness, as well as respect are also extremely important for teachers. I

respect how my students feel, regardless of their age because they need to feel heard. If we do

not exemplify good characteristics, they will not grow to have them themselves. We are basically

the model for them not only in our lessons but also in our composure. In order to become the

teacher I dream of becoming i am aware I have quite a few steps to take. I need to get my

bachelors degree, pass the PRAXIS exam, get my teaching license, and then find a job opening

for the age group I choose at the time. It seems like a lot of steps, but I love my career already

and knowing that it only gets better is a huge motivator for me. How far I have come as a teacher

is only the beginning and I cannot wait to be the best educator I can.
Sydne Hooper

EDU 201

19 November, 2022