Educational Philosophy

Adelaide Hoffman

As an educator, it is my belief that all children and youth have the ability to learn.

Further, it is my belief that students learn through experience, motivation, encouragement, and

most of all, hard work. I believe that students learn most from connecting real life experiences

with the classroom. I think it is also imperative to teach students how their existence can be used

to make the world a better place. I identify with two major philosophies in education; social

reconstructivism and progressivism. These two philosophies hold that students can and should be

taught to alleviate injustice in through their education and that students should be taught

information that pertains to real-life situations. In order to ensure that my students are being

taught to each of these philosophies, I intend to ask my self two questions; how can I apply this

to the real world? and how can I incorporate the appreciation of diversity into this lesson? I fully

intend for all of my lessons to be applicable to real world situations and to teach my student to

embrace the differences of one another. Coupling these beliefs with educational standards allows

students to learn the pertinent material and concepts, but also allows them to apply these

concepts to the world around them.

It is my goal to make my students thirst for knowledge, to teach them that their education

is gift that is not to be taken lightly. Further, it is my goal to make students believe that they can

achieve and exceed the goals they set for themselves. Each and every student deserves to be

immersed in a positive learning environment that can accommodate all types of learners whether

they be visual, kinesthetic, auditory, or a little bit of all three. Learning environments should be

welcoming and able to foster very intentional growth. Educators must inspire students to be

curious, creative, and confident. It is my goal as an educator to inspire my students to exceed

their own expectations and set goals for themselves. I intend to open my students eyes to the

enormous and rich world around them. It is my hope that they will come to the understanding

that differences are not bad, but beautiful. I will uphold ideals of respect, appreciation of

education, and confidence. I want my students to know that with drive, determination, and a

passion for learning, they can make anything happen for themselves. A key tenet of this goal is

the relationship between teacher and student. As a teacher it is imperative to maintain a

professional relationship with all students. In order to maintain the professional nature of a

teacher-student relationship, boundaries and limits must be set. However, it is also of great

importance to have a healthy relationship with each student. I intend to make it clear that I

genuinely care for my students and that I am always available to help them in any way that I can.

The teacher-student relationship will be one of mutual respect. This relationship will serve a

positive role in the classroom. Students respond well a teacher that they respect and enjoy

interacting with. Reminding students of what it means to respect one another will likely be

necessary, but building that relationship will be beneficial to the classroom dynamic and

classroom management as a whole.

Assessment is also a key tenet to measure both student and teacher growth. However, I

think there is a crucial fault in assessment, it often separates those who are successful and those

who are not successful. Assessments should motivate students to improve their scores instead of

continuously discouraging them. In order to create a classroom in which assessments are helpful

to both students and teachers, I plan on including my students in the development of

assessments. While some courses may require state or district mandated assessments, I plan for

my own assessments to be created collaboratively with students. I will ask them how they feel
they can demonstrate what they have learned and will take these suggestions and turn it into an

assessment that measures and observes student growth.

As a teacher, I will strive to be a warm demander. I will not lower standards for my

students for any reason. I will hold them to high standards in order to get them to recognize their

own capabilities. It is my hope that I will inspire my students to see that their reality is not their

destiny and that with a strong sense of self and motivation they can work to successfully achieve

their goals. I will uphold ideals of respect and humility within my classroom. My students will

respect their peers, their teachers, and themselves. My classroom will learn to celebrate diversity.

All of these ideals I intend to uphold to the best of my ability.