ANISIMOVA MASTER’S PORTFOLIO 1

Philosophy of Education Statement

I have been a lover of the arts of learning for a long time and have taken many different

turns in my schooling career, including being an award-winning playwright and filmmaker, and

studying psychology and social sciences. I wrote my first teaching philosophy statement shortly

after deciding to become a teacher. In that essay, I describe my commitment to being a life-long

learner. I still believe this is central to my calling as an educator since we must maintain current

understanding of child psychology and stay up-to-date on best instructional practices (Charles,

2011). More importantly, I have come to recognize myself as an active, working teacher-

researcher with a responsibility to share my insights with my colleagues and contribute

knowledge to the learning community (Burnaford, Fischer, Hobson, 2001).

In my original statement, I describe the belief that rigid instructional practices are not

conducive to student learning because they don’t inspire the love of learning (Perrone, 1991) and

are aimed at teaching students to achieve and study for test scores, rather than specific learning

outcomes (Tulenko, 2002). I have grown even stronger in the belief that students should be

taught using engaging materials rather than rote memorization and drills, because it benefits all

levels of learners. For example, when discussing the techniques which provide useful support for

lower-ability students, Weaver (2009) says “…more isolated skills work is not the answer…the

needed reading strategies and skills can most easily be taught, learned, and applied in the context

of authentic, meaningful and enjoyable texts.” For this reason, I also believe in using project-

based activities for my lessons. Hands-on learning and social structures engage students, create

an atmosphere of inquiry, support retention of the material (Tomas, Jackson, & Carlisle, 2014),

and create a fun, active classroom, which is one of the original goals in my first philosophy.
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In order to maintain a fun classroom, a teacher must have great student management

skills; in my first philosophy I describe my focus on positive behavior management techniques,

which have a more positive effect on student behavior than a punitive structure (Slavin, 2015). I

have come to see that creating a classroom of structure and respect not only helps me manage my

class but also allows students to feel safe in their learning environment, resulting in more

positive learning outcomes (Lemov, 2010).

In assessing student learning, I described in my first philosophy the idea that students rely

on testing to gauge their learning progress, and that classes which test their students show that

they have a better grasp of the material (Slavin, 2015). Since then, I have come to realize that the

use of IQ tests and other forms of standard assessments often have a weak correlation with

achievement (Jimenez & Graf, 2008), and timed or formal tests can add unnecessary stress

(O’Connor, 2009). Thankfully there are many ways to assess learning. I can use formative

assessments such as personal interviews with students, class discussions and I can look at student

writing; even conversations among students can be used to assess their comprehension (Taylor &

Nolen, 2008).

In my initial philosophy statement, I discuss the idea that schools are meant not only to

teach curriculum but also cultivate imaginations, support wonderful ideas, and teach our students

to dream big (Perrone, 1991). As an individual, I know that this focus on learning helps me to

appreciate my personal role in the world; as an educator, I strive to help my students find theirs.

References

Burnaford, G., Fischer, J., Hobson, D. (2001). Teachers Doing Research: The Power of Action

Through Inquiry. 2nd Ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Charles, C.M. (2011) Building classroom discipline. 10th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn &Bacon
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Jimenez, T.C., Graf, V.L. (2008). Education for All: Critical Issues in The Education Of

Children and Youth With Disabilities. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Lemov, D. (2010) Teach Like a Champion: 49 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to

College. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

O’Connor, K. (2009). How to Grade for Learning: K-12. 3rd Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Perrone, V. (1991). A Letter to Teachers. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons

Slavin, R.E. (2015) Educational Psychology. Upper Saddle, River, NJ: Pearson.

Taylor, C., Nolen, S.B. (2008). Classroom Assessment: Supporting Teaching and Learning in

Real Classrooms. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Tomas, L., Jackson, C., & Carlisle, K. (2014). The Transformative Potential of Engaging in

Science Inquiry-Based Challenges: The ATSE Wonder of Science Challenge. Teaching

Science, 60(2), 48–57. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN

=EJ1048775&site=ehost-live

Tulenko, J.D. (2002) Testing Our Schools. PBS Frontline, Program #2014 Original airdate:

March 28, 2002

Weaver, C. (2009). Reading process: Brief edition of reading process and practice (3rd ed.).

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann