Clare Koppin

Philosophy Statement

I see education as the most important tool we can provide to children. Education opens
doors, broadens horizons, creates change, and helps people find a purpose. It gives every student
the potential to become something greater than they already are. That, to me, is one of the most
powerful aspects of education. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to ensure that each of my
students sees that potential in themself and to find ways to make it accessible to them.
Education is a multidimensional field that has many roles. Students should be introduced
to core content like math, science, reading, writing, and history, but within each discipline,
information should be presented in ways that spark student interest and create connections across
content areas. The essential purpose of education is to provide students with the knowledge they
need to be successful in our rapidly changing, dynamic, global society, but to also encourage
them to explore what they learn in their own way. I believe education should teach students
about the past, but, at the same time, provide them with relevant and current information.
Students need to be aware of the world they live in and be able to flourish in that world.
The most effective methods for teaching are those that encompass as many
different learning styles as possible. Every student has different educational needs, and it will be
my job as a teacher to make sure that those needs are met to ensure each of my students is able to
perform to the best of their abilities. This is something I will aim to do in every one of my
lessons, whether it be through incorporating visual, listening, and hands-on aspects in to different
parts of the lesson or by providing specific accommodations for students who have special needs.
Another key aspect to making learning more accessible for students is thinking outside the box.
The power of imagination and creativity in the classroom are invaluable tools that teachers and
students alike can use to make curriculum come alive. By being more creative and encouraging
imagination in myself and my students, we can find ways to work together to achieve their goals
and mine.
While classroom management has been one of the hardest areas for me to master, it is
one of the most crucial aspects of being an effective teacher. Although I am still learning and
growing in this area, there are several key parts to classroom management that I have found. The
first is establishing a report with students. By showing them that you care about them as
individuals and not being afraid to be yourself with them, you create a bond of mutual trust and
respect that sets a tone for the classroom. The second is being consistent. Students are very
concerned with fairness; they want to be treated as equal to their peers because they are equals.
By maintaining consistent rules that apply to all students, you show them that you respect them
and believe they all deserve the same treatment. The last key to classroom management that I
have found is compassion. When a student acts out, its not always a matter of them being
intentionally disrespectful to you or your rules. Often, there are underlying problems and they
just need someone to talk to. By being there for your students when they may feel that no one
else is, you show them that you care about them as an individual, which can make all the
difference.
Finally, I believe that evaluation of students should take place through the system of
Blooms Taxonomy. According to Blooms Taxonomy, the six stages of learning are
knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. For example, if we
learn about the cultures of the Incans, Aztecs, and Mayans, a student could name where each
group was located (knowledge), explain the religious systems of each group (comprehension),
create a map of one of the major cities of one of the groups (application), compare and contrast
the agricultural systems of the Incans and the Aztecs (analysis), write a fictional composition
about a day in the life of a Mayan (synthesis), and finally justify or criticize the practice of
human sacrifice (evaluation). Through these projects and assignments, the student will have
shown full understanding of all the concepts we have learned in class, while also thinking for
themself.
In summary, my personal philosophy of education is rooted in compassion, creative
exploration, relationships, and the potential of each and every student. It is my goal to act upon
these core beliefs every day I am in the classroom. Since my students are at the center of who I
am as a teacher, I am sure I will continue to grow and shape my philosophy as I gain more
experience in the classroom and learn alongside them.