Educational Philosophy:

It is my belief that teaching is a vital and rewarding profession and its importance often goes unacknowledged. The role of the teacher is to lead and direct the students towards bettering themselves and attaining higher education. S/he acts as an expert in pedagogy that properly manages the classroom and simultaneously fosters caring relationships with students. The teacher must establish and maintain their position of trust and create a positive environment that encourages student learning.

Learning is the acquisition of new information and ideas by the modification of previous reasoning that exists as a result of past experience. The teacher acts as an expert coordinator to manage the learning of the entire class.

I believe that students are unique individuals that leave different families and home environments and bring to their classroom different ideas, attitudes and beliefs that result from past experiences. Teachers, especially in this time of extensive immigration, must realize that each child is different, comes from a different cultural background and yet deserves to be treated with the utmost respect for their dignity as a human being. From my experience teaching and being around children in general, I have observed many things. Mainly that all children love attention, especially those who may not receive enough at home and that their teachers have the privilege of teaching moral values and exhibiting kindness to them. Every day, teachers have the opportunity to demonstrate how to be a caring and compassionate individual by their example.

Knowledge, an inclusive concept that covers a large expanse of material, is acquired through learning and exploring ones environment. It is central to the composition of an educator as their understanding of life and the relationships that exist between them, their students and their environment provides insight into student interactions. This allows a teacher to effectively coordinate and conduct student learning. A passion for the subject matter is important for effectively demonstrating knowledge that conveys interest. Children are much more willing to cooperate in learning when they feel that the subject is relevant to themselves.

I believe that it is beneficial for students not only to receive curriculum-based knowledge, but also to gain the ability to think outside of boundaries and to grasp their full potential through the exploration of their world. Educators cannot reach their goals for students learning unless they are also working towards the development of the whole child within the context of their environment.

I believe that the realization of the nature of beauty is vital for enhancing childrens self esteem and for helping them to view their world in a positive light. Through discussions about important concepts such as beauty and truth, children will develop a broader perspective of their lives. I believe that evil exists in our world and that it is recognizable in various forms, such as war, disease and poverty which impose unjust conditions on less privileged members of society. It is important to educate children of the history and state of our world so that they, the future, do not make the same mistakes.

My Educational Philosophy has been developed over this term through the development of my knowledge of teaching. I began the term with very little knowledge of the Field of Education. My previous beliefs have been enhanced and corrected to conform to the framework of teaching. This will allow me to make a more significant impact on the children I have the opportunity to teach.