Julia DiMarco

4/12/14
EDUC 300
Personal Philosophy of Teaching Statement

The Purpose of Education

By the time students graduate from high school, they are expected to have a
sophisticated understanding of the main subjects in schooling. This consists of all
the basic subjects that everyone is taught, for example history, math, science and
English. It is the goal that having an understanding of these subjects will prepare
you to be an active citizen who can hold a job, provide for themselves and the lead
an all around successful life. There has been a need for people to be educated since
the beginning of civilization. The idea of educating the young has always been
present because in order for a civilization to survive knowledge must be passed
from the old to the young. People started off by having to learn skills essential for
fending for themselves and surviving, and as society became more advanced people
could begin to specialize. Today even, we have a similar system in place where
people go to college in order to specialize in the field that can give them success in
life. When I become a teacher I will definitely try to express myself as a more
student-centered type of teacher. This is because I believe that students can reach
higher points of success as well as reach more of their potential if they are given
individual treatment and attention. Every student is different, therefore they should
not all be treated the same, and be treated as one big mass of students as little as
possible. The type of school I would want to work at would probably be essentialist,

with a curriculum including general knowledge as well as good morals and

discipline.

Curriculum: What Should Be Taught and Why?

I think overall our nation has a standard curriculum that most schools follow.
Public schools across the country may have the slight differences in their curriculum
based on the relevance and appropriateness of information depending on where
students live. The curriculum in our schools will also keep on becoming more
sophisticated as we compete with other countries in a race for knowledge. The main
subjects that are taught in schools right now are important in order for people to
live as a functioning member of society. Math, history, science and English are all
very important subject for our students to be taught. Personally, I believe that a
subject containing information about human psychology, emotion, interaction,
behavior, ethics and morals should be included into our standard curriculum across
the nation. This subject would have to go beyond what is learned in health classes
and elective psychology classes students possibly take in high school. Acceptance,
understanding and flexibility are just a few skills that should be encouraged across
the curriculum that we teach to our students. Those skills among others are
necessary in order to produce well-educated individuals. Diversity is not something
that should be ignored in the school atmosphere, and these types of characteristics
should be taught so we are able to accept and understand diversity in our lives from
young ages through adulthood. Racial differences should be celebrated in the

classroom, and everyone should feel comfortable in school regardless of their sexual
orientation.

Nature of the Learner

The responsibility of the learners would be based on respect. Students must
respect their peers, their teachers and administrators, any other staff members, and
themselves. Students have the responsibility to challenge and excite each other in
academic discussion, as well as help better each others understanding. This means
that if a classmate is struggling, their peers assist, because sometimes the best
teachers can actually be the students themselves. It is the responsibility of the
student to ask as many questions as possible, and keep their curiosity alive about all
subjects. The nature of the learner should not be negative, and students should try
not to get discouraged when subject material is difficult or they would rather be
doing anything else. Students should be courteous to all people in the school
environment. There would be a no tolerance policy regarding bullying in place.
Students should be able to trust their teachers, and be comfortable seeking help or
advice about academics but also in other areas of life. Administrators are the ones
that mostly overlook the actions of the school, but students should make an effort to
have some sort of relationship with these people.

Teaching Methods That Should Be Used and Why

I think in the ideal classroom environment facilitates classroom discussion.

That means that classrooms should be arranged with desks in semi-circles so
students can look around at their classmates, or in clusters or groups of desks. I
envision my classroom to be very colorful, with lots of displays, posters and projects
hanging up. I would want to display as much of my students work as possible, and
have interesting things all around. I would want my classroom to feel comfortable
and creative. I also think having windows that look outside are important in kids
classrooms, because I think all kids deserve to stare out the window and day dream
once in a while. I think a classroom is more affective if it is somewhere where the
students feel is fun, safe and somewhere they want to be. I think having a good
environment physically would enhance learning very much.

The Role of the Teacher

Teachers need to have positive relationships with administration, fellow
teachers, parents/guardians, and especially students. Teachers need to have respect
for everyone involved in their teaching careers. All of these relationships should be
friendly and comfortable so that criticism and praise can both be given. Teachers are
responsible for creating classroom environments where there is an open flow of
communication, and opportunities for people to voice their opinions and concerns.
Teachers should be able to bond with other teachers and discuss issues they face, so
they can work towards possible solutions together. Teachers need to be vocal and
involved with the parents because receiving trust and acceptance from the parents

can enhance the experiences of their students who respect their own parents
opinions greatly. And finally, students should feel comfortable talking to their
teachers about things that arent just schoolwork related. I would want my students
to feel comfortable coming to me if they are in trouble. My job as a teacher is to
educate my students and also prepare them for what is to come next in their lives. It
is my job to promote all the characteristics of a good person, and my goal would be
to embody the values I am trying to teach.

Ongoing Professional Development

Along with everything in life, Im assuming that practice makes perfect
applies to being a teacher also. I think in order to better understand and realize my
philosophy I just need to keep getting more experience working with kids, and
trying to teach them. Right now I tutor middle school kids once a week, and I want
to continue doing that until the day I graduate. I think doing things like tutoring or
even babysitting will help me be more prepared for when I get my first teaching job.
In order to someday become a successful professional and educator, I need to
continue to study hard and keep that determination until I graduate. I also need to
continue cultivating new relationships and learning how to be someone people can
trust and look up to. I want to be a role model for the kids I teach and there are
definitely things about myself I can better to become a better role model.