DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Personal Philosophy of Education

               

My personal philosophy of education aligns strongly with the constructivist approach. I believe that students construct their own knowledge by making personal connections to their learning material and through interactions with others. It is important to set high expectations for students in both academics and behavior. Teachers can guide students in reaching these high expectations and can help students set some of their own goals to strive toward.

 

Students need to feel welcome and safe in the classroom environment in order to learn. I will establish my classroom as a community of diverse, 21st Century learners, in which everybody has their own unique backgrounds, interests, strengths, and areas of weakness. I will model positive interactions with my students and promote a kind and open-minded classroom environment that allows students to feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions. I believe in using positive reinforcements that are motivating for students, to encourage them to work hard and make good choices, and to use firm discipline and natural consequences to discourage negative behaviors. I also believe in using group contingency as a way to emphasize to students that they work together as a classroom community.

           

My classroom seating will be arranged in cooperative groups so that students have the opportunity to communicate with each other, work collaboratively, develop their language skills, and support each other with their individual strengths. Additionally, during instruction, I will use a variety of student grouping patterns to support collaboration and creativity. Having a positive and cooperative classroom community will establish an environment where students can learn, grow, and achieve goals.

           

I believe that students get the most out of their education when they are engaged in learning and when they use critical thinking and problem solving skills, rather than just memorizing rote knowledge and facts. Instruction should be adapted to best support students’ strengths and learning styles, and differentiated instruction can be implemented to best focus on developing targeted skills for individual students. If the resources in my classroom and school allow, I would like to integrate technology as much as possible into my instruction. 21st century learners are naturally motivated by technology, so using materials such as laptops and iPads in instruction would be an easy way to engage students in their learning. 

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.