Philosophy of Education

I believe students learn best when they are motivated to learn, by seeing the value, and
importance in the information given. Students are less likely to learn the information if they are not
interested in the material. A fun interactive classroom is essential to effective learning. If students are
involved, and actively participate, the learning outcome is greater. I believe you learn by “doing”. Hands
on activities and applying information from class to real life situations is crucial for students to learn. 

The teachers’ role in student learning is to motivate. The teacher should be a builder of
confidence and encourage thinking. The teacher is the bridge to the real world for the students. The
teacher should create a safe environment and be available to help students. My main goals for my
students are to develop and help apply their reading, writing, speaking, listening, problem-solving, and
study skills to their full potential and have fun while doing so. If the students are able to do this, they will
be able to succeed in the real world. 

Differentiating lesson plans are an important factor to a student’s learning. I will help develop
my beliefs in the classroom by incorporating different learning styles into my lessons. I will use a
combination of lecture, reading, classroom interaction, applications of concepts to real world situations,
and a variety of visual and tactile components. I will stimulate interest, by being engaging, and by
illustrating the importance of the material presented. 

Additionally, I will accomplish this by speaking in a comforting tone, when discussing

information in class, and encouraging participation in classroom discussion. Also, I will use
constructivism, by helping them interpret, and reinterpret, old, and new information together. I will
encourage students to raise their hands and ask questions often and let them know it is okay to give a
guess. I will use many hands-on activities, and encourage students’ creativity with cooperative learning,
and at home projects. 

When appropriate, I use technology not for its own sake, but rather to support and enhance a
love of reading. Examples of technology use/instruction in the classroom are finding and listening to
eBooks, knowing how to search the catalog, and utilizing our databases for research purposes.   

To summarize, I feel in order to achieve the ultimate goal of student learning it is important to
use a combination of teaching methods and to make the classroom environment as stimulating and
interactive as possible. Also, to motivate, encourage questions and be available to the students. This will
ultimately help students learn and apply the course content to their future careers.