My Educational Philosophy Statement

Throughout my experiences in the education program at Northwest State Community

College, I have learned several approaches to teaching, what goals are important in development

as well as using play, a natural way children learn, as a vehicle for teaching, enhancing and

expanding. I have also discovered what I value as a teacher and what types of practices will

allow for the most effective teaching I can offer my future students and families. Another

important aspect that I have recently experienced and come to value, is the importance of

families, and the relationships you develop with your students’ families.

There are several developmental goals important to a child’s growth and development.

Of these, I believe the emotional and social development to be one of the most important

developmental goals for children 3-8 years old. These are critical as children learn self-

awareness as and learn more about their roles in their family, school, and community. Dr.

Shulamit Ritblatt, a leading expert in social-emotional development, readiness to learn, behavior

support and early childhood mental health and professor at San Diego State University, tells

readers

“A child’s social-emotional development motivates them to learn critical skills such as the ability

to communicate, connect with others, resolve conflict, self-regulate, display kindness and

empathy and cope with challenges. These skills are crucial for school readiness. Without

cognitive, social, and emotional self-control in the classroom, learning cannot occur”

Emotional and social development in children are also important for helping them to make good

decisions and build meaningful relationships with classmates, family and trusting adults in their

lives.
 Language and literacy development are also very important goals for children ages 3-8

years old. Language is especially important in the early years as children learn to express

themselves and learn the language needed to do so. Carrie Shrier, an advocate of early literacy at

Michigan State University, explains to readers that “preschoolers whose parents read to them,

tell them stories and sing songs with them, tend to develop larger vocabularies, become better

readers and perform better in school”. There are several ways to encourage early literacy in

children such using finger plays, singing common lullabies or always rereading a child’s favorite

book. Children being able to handle books and tell stories through pictures are pre-emergent

skills to reading, writing and creating new ideas of their own.

Motor development is also very important as children are learning new ways in which to

use their body, perform every day tasks and learn to become independent. Fine and large motor

skills are essential for children to learn through the use of holding a writing tool, painting,

gripping small objects with tweezers or learning to balance on a balance beam, standing on one

foot, hopping or sliding down a fireman pole. Though each one of these things may seem small

and of insignificant value, a child is learning so much about themselves, their abilities, using

their bodies to make things happen as well as many others that the child isn’t even aware of.

I believe that play used as a tool for learning is also very important as children are

learning so much through manipulation and exploration in the environment the teacher creates

for them as well as in the world around them. Therefor play should make up a large quantity of

the child’s day, giving them time to explore their interest, socialize, understand cause and effect

and build their imaginations as they dig in to materials and objects provided at each center.

The environment in which the child develops, learns and grows in is also very important

to their overall learning experience. I believe that it should captivate a child’s imagination, while
not overstimulating, and represent the classroom as whole. Pictures of the children’s families

should be placed around the room as well as artwork created by children that they are proud of

and have chosen should be hung up or framed. Plants that are non-toxic are should also be

placed in the classroom allowing for a natural environment and can also be used as teaching tool

in a variety of developmental outcomes. A cozy place a child can go to relax and be quiet is also

a valuable thing to offer students as well. Lastly lighting that is soft and creating a warm,

welcoming environment for children is also important. While each of these may seem small,

together each of these creates a warm, friendly environment that children can feel safe, welcome

and proud to show off to their families.

I also believe that families play a very vital role in a child’s life and the classroom. As a

teacher, I would create bridges between families and school allowing them to feel apart of their

child’s journey through school and feel as if they apart of a small community. There should not

be a separation of home life and school life for a child on a large scale. I believe that families

should be encourage as well as invited to volunteer, spend a day at school with their child, offer

whatever services they may have to offer, whether it’s letting the class borrow a book or coming

in to tell the class about their job. Every family should be made to feel that they are welcome and

have something to offer.

Another critical item to address is diversity. Diversity effects all students in some way or

another whether it’s religion, ethnicity, celebrating or excluding certain holidays or where you

live. Therefor I believe diversity should be apart of your classroom in every way through the

environment, in objects, daily routines, in lesson plans as well as in the atmosphere. Each child

should feel proud to be who they are as well as respecting their classmates who may differ from

themselves in some way. As the teacher I would create an environment where families and
students are able to be themselves, feel their needs are met and are not made to feel left out or

that they should acclimate to “social norms”.

Throughout my studies there have been many theorists that have influenced my beliefs of

early childhood in one way or another. Of those, the theorists who have had the most profound

effect are Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Maria Montessori and Howard Gardner. Each of these

theorists have similar yet differing views of the child and how they develop and learn. I believe

each one of these theories to be valuable in affectively teaching and helping students to

developmentally grow.

Combining these theories allows the teacher to use student interests to plan curriculum in

a variety of ways to allow for the most students to learn from it while allowing students to learn

in an intentionally, aesthetically pleasing environment allowing for children to learn from items,

materials and people around them. It would also mean allowing for play to make up a large part

of the daily routine while as the teacher enhancing and extending children’s learning.

Key factors in developmentally appropriate practice that will influence my teaching are

knowing how the child learns and develops, using observation and child interests as a method of

deciding what children will learn, what they need to learn and how they can learn this

information and taking children and their families’ values, beliefs and expectations into

consideration when planning for my classroom. I feel these three things are important because

they will provide some of the main structures of my teaching as well as influencing what and

how I teach my future students as well as how I will interact with their families.

To become and remain the most effective teacher I am able to be, I believe that I need to

use every opportunity when working with children to ask myself how I can better enhance or

extend their learning as well as reflecting on what I did well or could improve upon. I believe
that being an effective teacher means using observations and assessments as tools to look at what

they children are responding to, what they are and are not grasping and using it as a tool to

reflect upon my teaching, asking myself what went well, what didn’t and how I can better help

my students next time.

There are many mechanisms I never thought of or took into consideration, that go into

being an effective teacher, when I began my school career at Northwest State. Since then, I have

begun to understand which things mean the most to me in being the most effective teacher I can

be. I have learned to adapt theories I value into my teaching, applying what I have learned to

practice and use reflection to understand what I need to do better to apply skills, child interest

and growth and development into a lesson that will have the most effective impact on the

children. These items along with my growing educational philosophy will support my teaching

along my journey to being an effective teacher and lifelong learner.

 Work Cited

Ritblatt, Shulamit. “What Is Social Emotional Development and Why Is It Important in Early

Childhood?” Schoolyard Blog, School Specialty, 26 Feb. 2019,

blog.schoolspecialty.com/what-is-social-emotional-development-and-why-is-it-important-in-

early-childhood/.

Shrier, Carrie. “ABC's of Early Literacy: The Importance of Developing Early Literacy

Skills.” MSU Extension, Michigan State University, 20 Sept. 2014,

www.canr.msu.edu/news/abcs_of_early_literacy_the_importance_of_developing_early_literac

y_skills.