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Alaina Hill
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Philosophy of Education
Over the years, the purpose of education has changed
dramatically to best adapt to the needs of the present conditions,
however the purpose the teacher holds has only gone under minor
changes. As a whole, the purpose of a teacher in the classroom is to
prepare students for the future and educate them to their best ability. I
believe a structured content area and program area in the classroom is
essential for myself and any other teacher in order to have a
successful classroom. When decided how to present lessons to a class,
I as the teacher will need to be well organized and have conducted
thorough research in order to present the lessons in a way that is
understood by many students in the class. Having order in the
structure of the classroom will help aid myself to conduct a
comfortable learning environment.
The responsibility of student achievement in my mind can be
split up between both the teacher and the student. As a teacher I will
do my best to reach each and every one of my students and ensure
that they are also striving to reach their best potential, however I feel
the student as well needs to out in effort in trying to understand
lessons. If one individual has made up their mind that the potential
cannot be reached, whether it be my thoughts about the student or the
students own perspective of themself, then it will be a much more

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difficult struggle to motivate the student for education. For me as a
teacher it is important that I look at every student with an open mind
and strive to help them to best achieve in the classroom as well as
help them understand lessons they will use later on in life. Looking at
each student without any biases will ensure that I am honestly trying
my best to reach every student. The roles of both the teacher and the
student can be intertwined with one another and in many ways depend
on each other. It is the job of the teacher to instruct the class in a way
that can be remembered and understood, if some students do not
understand the first version of a lesson, it then falls on the teacher to
adapt the lesson in a way that the confused students can understand.
Vise versa it is important that each student strive to understand each
lesson, which in return make the job of the teacher easier. If a student
is not willing to learn it will be much more difficult for the teacher to
successfully accomplish their role in the classroom. According the
pedagogic creed, the only true education comes through the
stimulation of the childs powers by the demands of the social
situations in which he finds himself (Dewey, 1). This best helps
represent my original statement of the roles of the teacher and student
being combined. Children have the potential to reach amazing heights,
yet without an open mind a teacher will to patiently aid the student,
these heights may never be reached.

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When looking at research conducted involving the home life a
certain students, it is surprising to me as a future teacher to realize
that research shows that children from single-parent families are less
likely to achieve academically and more likely to be expelled or
suspended (Sadker, 117). This research better describes how family
and community life can have a major impact on a students desire to
achieve. Without a home-life that welcomes and encourages academic
success, a child will be less incline to succeed in the classroom. While I
as a teacher may in fact inspire students, if as soon as they go back to
their family the inspiration leaves them, they it will be much harder to
inspire the students in such a way that causes it to stay while in an
uninspiring environment. However with an encouraging family and
community life in which education is thought of as one of the mot
important aspects a child can have, the student may be much more
inclined to succeed and receive praise for their hard work and success.
If families go over lessons introduced in the classroom while the
children are at home, it will be easier for the children to connect,
remember, and to better understand the lessons. While it may true for
every case, having a home life that supports and encourages
educational achievement can help a student thrive in the classroom
and later on in life.
As a teacher, it is important to stay current with the educational
trends of the time and constantly improve my teaching skills. It is my

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personal to goal to grow every year as a teacher and provide my
students with the best education that I can offer to them. Attending
teaching workshops and seminars will help to keep me accountable
with the way in which I present material in the classroom and relate it
to different students. As my years as a teacher progress, I am
determined to always strive to learn new ways that will help me better
to communicate and relate to my students to ensure that I have given
each and every student an equal opportunity to succeed. By constantly
challenging myself to continue to learn as well as adapt my teaching
styles, it will be easier for me to change lesson plans each years so
that I am not just repeating lessons over and over throughout the
years. In my past experiences, some of the most memorable teachers I
have come into contact with are the ones who are also learning along
with their students. Growing along with the students in the classroom
can help the children relate more to the teacher as well as develop
relationships in which the students respect and trust the teacher.
Having a classroom that is constantly changing to adapt to the times at
hand can help students relate more easily and understand the lessons
better. It is my person goal as a teacher to always strive to discover
new lesson plans each year and add my own flair so that it fits the
personality of my students. Striving to understand each student in the
classroom will in my mind help to create and find lesson plans and

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present them to the class in ways that will help them clearly
understand the basic concepts of the lessons.
Another goal I have set for myself as a teacher is the desire to
reach each of the students I come into contact with. As a teacher, I feel
it is my responsibility to inspire as many students as I possibly can and
help them succeed to their best ability. While I will accept any advice
previous teachers may give me, it is important to me that I give every
student an equal chance in the classroom to succeed. One of the
biggest problems I have noticed in todays classroom is the impact of
previous biases on a child. While it is important that teachers share
some of their stories with one another, children should be given a
chance to prove themselves in the classroom regardless as to how
other teachers may feel about a particular child. By teaching in such a
way, I believe children will recognize the effort a teacher is putting into
the class and may in many cases strive give back as much effort as the
teacher is putting in. By keeping up a classroom that recognizes the
individuality and different learning styles of each child, many children
may find the classroom welcoming and motivating as they begin to
learn the curriculum and lessons that will be taught to them
throughout the school year.
In my opinion teaching is an ever-growing journey and is an
occupation that will require adaptability. As a future teacher, I have
already begun to set specific goals for myself as well as my future

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classroom, all of which I intend to keep and build on as the years
progress. Of these goals, there are two specific ones I plan to follow
each year I teach. The first being the desire to reach out to every
student in my class and develop relationships and the second being to
always look for more effective teaching skills to progress. By having
these goals as a basis for my future classrooms I believe I will be able
to adapt to teaching the material at hand while always staying on my
feet without getting lazy, tired, or burnt out of the classroom. This
profession is definitely not one that everyone desires to follow,
however I know for a certain teaching the generations to come and
inspiring the children I come into contact with is in fact my passion and
I know with hard work and dedication, I will finally be able to have my
own classroom and begin working the job I have been dreaming of for
so long.

References

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Dewey, John. (1897). My Pedagogic Creed. The School Journal.
54, 77-80.
Sadker, D.M., & Zittleman, K.R. (2013). Teachers, Schools, and
Society. New York: McGraw-Hill.