Louis Piccirillo

As a pre-service teacher I have studied various teaching philosophies and they have
molded my ideas on how to approach teaching. Although I have yet to teach my own
classroom and a set of students I come into this career with some beliefs on how teaching
should be approached and how learning can be truly meaningful.
One of the ideas Ive come across that I believe in is the idea that every student has
their own Funds of Knowledge. This is the idea that every student has something to bring to
the table and has experiences and lessons they have learned that makes their style of learning
unique. I think that every student approached problems in a unique way, tailor-made to the
experiences and life lessons they have learned. This expands not only to experiences, but also
to cultural knowledge and assets from the local community. This idea is linked to viewing your
students experiences and community with an asset perspective instead of a deficit. Building
from this, I also believe that each teacher should actively learn from their students and conduct
qualitative research in order to improve their practices. This active research can be distinctive
to each classroom and help the teacher and students grow academically. Active research is a
continuous cycle that is never ending, and if used properly, can improve a teachers practice and
build useful knowledge specific to your classroom.
These are only some of my philosophies on teaching. I expect to expand upon these
beliefs as I progress closer to becoming a full-time teacher both in school and in student
teaching. My teaching journey has just begun and I look forward to expanding and exploring all
it has to offer.