Philosophy of Education
Why does a person want to become a teacher? Is it because teachers get summers off or they get great health benefits? If these are the reasons why a person wants to be a teacher, then they are missing the whole scope of what teaching is really about. There are many reasons or motives why someone wants be in the education field. The reason why I want to be a teacher is because I love to work with children. I especially want to work in the special education area because I was always told that I am very compassionate towards others who have special disabilities. Teaching will be more than job to me, it will be my passion.
The most important qualities of an outstanding educator are compassion, imagination, and experience. An outstanding educator has special qualities, which separates him or her from others in the education field. Usually an outstanding educator is compassionate and caring. Most educators are like this, but an outstanding educator will make time in their busy lives to help a student academically or emotionally. They will ask and continue to ask; What does this child need? How can I help this child? What sources are available?
Having an imagination will help students learn better. They will be more engaged in the lessons. A lesson goes much better when the students look forward to an innovative learning experience. To incorporate creativity in the classroom, it takes a lot time because the teacher wants it to relate to what he or she is teaching. Experience is probably one of the most important qualities of an outstanding educator. New teachers will have more areas to fill than experienced educators because there will be more conditions that the new teachers are not familiar with. Once they get experience in the areas they are not familiar with and follow the school’s rules and policy, the new teachers will be on their way to being outstanding educators.
In any line of work that someone is in, there are always obstacles. Teaching has many obstacles that can be frustrating and rewarding. One obstacle is getting through to the students. In some cases, a teacher has one student who just does not care about school and all he or she does is torment the teacher. The worst part is that teacher has to deal with that student everyday and it is frustrating trying to reach this student. Trying to find ways to get through to the student is very time consuming and sometimes a teacher does make a breakthrough and that is the rewarding part.
Another obstacle is the teacher trying to find their method of teaching. Some teachers love note-taking, lectures, group discussions, or hands-on activities. The main point is to try to get the students’ attention for at least the majority of the class. Teaching is not an easy job. Most people believe teaching is an easy career, but they have not experienced what it is like to work with children.
Teaching can have many rewards. There are not a lot of extrinsic rewards associated with teaching, but there are definitely intrinsic rewards. Teaching allows you to inspire and touch the lives of students. Making a difference in a student’s life can be one of the greatest moments a teacher can have. Once I become a teacher, I would love to have that “a-ha” moment with a student. Also, teachers have that intimidating authority over students. For example, if a student sees a teacher at the grocery store, they get scared and sometimes won’t even make eye contact with the teacher. I definitely want to be the type of teacher when a student sees me somewhere, they will come right up to me and say hello.
Since I am currently searching for a teaching position, there are some traits that I will look for in a school. One trait is that the school is safe and responsive to all children. Anywhere I go, I have to feel secure in my environment. If I don’t feel secure, I have trouble concentrating on important tasks I have to do. In this case, teaching is my task and if I cannot focus it will affect the needs of my students. Also, a school has to be responsive to all children. Every student is not the same. Some students learn at a slower pace, which means they need special support from a qualified teacher. Some may have autism or attention deficit disorder and they need the one-on-one help from a caring, responsible teacher. Other circumstances, some students may learn at a faster pace. Students who learn at a faster pace are considered talented or gifted. Schools should have a gifted and talented program so these types of students can learn at their instructional level.
The process of becoming a teacher takes sacrifice and dedication as well as financial resources. All these areas are worth doing because becoming a teacher is what I have wanted for a while. Just the thought of working with children and seeing them progress through the years motivates me to work harder to obtain these goals. Once I become a teacher, I will strive to make sure my students are simultaneously learning and relishing the experience. My philosophy is if someone loves doing a certain task because it makes them happy, then they should do that for the rest of their life. I love to teach young children and I want to do it for the rest of my life.
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