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Teaching Philosophy
The opportunities to obtain an education can open doors to freedom and independence for
many people. I want to teach because I will have the opportunity to help others to see their
potential to learn and succeed in life. During my time in school, I was fortunate to have teachers
who were outstanding in several ways. From pre-school to my time in college, many of my
teachers have been inspirations. I was scolded and disciplined by my teachers when necessary,
but also encouraged to set goals and pushed to exceed any boundaries that I perceived to be in
my path. These teachers had faith in my abilities when I did not yet have faith in myself. They have
been key elements my successes and accomplishments in life, therefore, I have an overwhelming
desire to give back to others in the same manner through adult instruction. Adult education
provides a way for numerous people to learn, grow, and succeed in life even when they believe it
may be too late.
The beliefs that I have about teaching include the ideas that participants should learn skills
and knowledge in various lesson types. Additionally, lesson should be created to enable
participants to develop higher level thinking skills. Furthermore, classrooms, whether traditional or
non-traditional, should encourage cognitive collaboration at all times. Teachers should incorporate
test preparation into instruction and make connections across the instruction, curriculum, and life.
Teachers should always incorporate multicultural elements into their lesson plans as well as
modifications for students with disabilities.
It is my job as a teacher, to introduce participants to more diverse and imaginative ways of
learning. One of my goals will be to motivate the students by finding things in the lesson material
to get them enthusiastic. Some of the instructional methods and strategies I prefer to use include

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hands on activities, small group discussions, long-term projects, reader response journals, video
clips, and visual aids such as graphic organizers, and charts. I prefer to use whole class
discussions as well as cooperative learning and small group activities to complement the whole
class discussions. I am fond of the idea of using varied methods of assessment in the classroom
such as, essays and papers, student observations, portfolios, group projects, presentations and
student conferences.
The classroom environment plays a significant role in how the students are taught. The
class time should be managed and utilized as effectively as possible in order to maximize student
learning. The schedules for the lessons, as well as clearly defined lesson objectives should be
posted at all times. I am also in favor of having management procedures starting class, during
class, and ending class. These starting procedures can include warm up exercises written on the
board, and taking roll from a seating chart as students are working. Classroom rules should be
posted and students should be well aware of the consequences of breaking the classroom rules.
Preventative measures for behavioral management should be used in the classroom and these can
include actions similar to verbal warnings to students and proximity control. In general, I believe
that all aspects of teaching require balance. There has to be a healthy balance between all the
elements
I am extremely enthusiastic about the knowledge I will gain from the students and from
other instructors during the teaching process. As a teacher and a leader, I believe that it is
important for me to seek out various learning opportunities in the future. These opportunities, such
as seminars, and higher education degrees, will provide me chances to reflect on my teaching
practices and allow me to grow as a well rounded professional. I have learned that teaching is a
complex but very rewarding profession and I am truly looking forward to the experiences.