Teaching Philosophy

I believe the purpose of education is to prepare young students to become informed and active citizens. I believe that education is not just teaching students about academic content, but allowing a student to flourish and grow mentally, emotionally, and academically. I believe that it is our purpose, as educators, to facilitate this growth and guide students through this turbulent time of their lives. 

I believe that knowledge and understanding are two separate entities. Knowledge is the ability to recall information when needed knowledge can be very surface-level. It does not require deep analysis of a topic. What makes knowledge become more in-depth is understanding. Understanding a topic is what students should aim for. Understanding is what a teacher should teach a student how to accomplish. Understanding is being able to analyze and evaluate a topic. Education should strive for understanding rather than the simple recollection of facts. 

I do not believe that there is information in the world that is not worth knowing. I believe that all information holds value. Whether that value is applicable at that very moment, or in the distant future, it is worth knowing. Knowing the curriculum content is important for a student. However, I believe that social and emotional skills are also worth knowing throughout education. 

Curriculum is the set of information that every student needs to know within a certain grade level. I believe that the role of curriculum guarantees that all students learn the same information and that nobody is left behind. Learning involves completely understanding a topic. This means that a student who has learned information should be able to critique, summarize, and expand on what they have learned. Learning occurs only after an educator provides proper differentiation to all students. Every student learns differently, and it is the job of the teacher to figure out how their students learn. Some students are visual learners, while others may be auditory or kinesthetic learners. It is the job of the teacher to make sure that all students have the resources available to them to properly learn and digest the information they are being told. 

I approach learning tasks by breaking down how as I expressed before, each student learns in a different manner. Combining all of a student's learning abilities into a lesson plan is crucial for effective learning. I will know that my students have successfully learned what I taught them when they are able to combine the information they have been told. I am a fan of project-based learning, because it allows for a student to expand on the information that they have learned. When a student is able to combine information and give their own opinion about it, I believe that they have successfully learned the material. 

Research should serve as the basis of educational practice. However, I do not fully believe that research is the only thing a teacher should base their practice on. There is a saying,  “teaching is an art and a science”. I believe that a good educator can combine personable skills and research practices into their teaching practice. My philosophy of education is based on acting as a guide for the student. I believe that a teacher should help a student understand the basics of the material, and slowly lift away as the student gains knowledge. I base my practice on Vygotsky's zone of proximal development. I believe that if an educator acts as a guide rather than a lecturer, a student will understand the content more thoroughly. Teachers should act as a guide rather than a dictator in the classroom. The teacher should be the provider of information, not a warden of information. Allowing access to primary sources as a social studies educator is very important to me. I believe that students should be the focus of the classroom, rather than the teacher. A classroom should be student-centered with students actively engaging in the material. 

My philosophy of education impacts the way I teach my curriculum, instruction, and student learning outcomes. My philosophy of education impacts how I teach the curriculum because It dictates how I present the material. While teaching, I provide my students with the primary sources. I allow my students to figure out why the sources are important and what they are saying. I prefer instructing this way, because students all have unique skill sets that are brought to the table when you allow them to think critically on their own. Every student will usually have a different opinion about what they are learning and what the information says. This facilitates an open and insightful classroom environment. This impacts learner outcomes because the students become active learners. They learn from each other, rather than the teacher. This gets the students excited to learn.

The role of the student in the classroom is to actively engage in the material. The student should seek out knowledge independently. The student should be able to analyze and critique the knowledge that they have learned. When a student is able to evaluate, critique, and create based on the information that they have learned, they will be successful.

I will construct the educational environment for my students by creating a place of openness and belonging. I am a firm believer that students will not learn in an environment they do not feel comfortable in. Creating a sense of belonging and non judgement in the classroom is important for all students. If students know that they will not be judged by the teacher for getting a question wrong, they will be more open to taking risks in the classroom. Creating this environment of openness will allow students to learn from each other.