Philosophy of Education

This is one of my favorite quotes from Walt Disney, because I believe it perfectly sums up young children’s natural curiosity as well as my motivation for teaching. Children have a natural desire to explore and learn. Just like there is often no one best answer, there is no one best way for children to learn. The multimodal and active nature of children requires teachers to plan developmentally appropriate curriculum and learning experiences that promote both cooperative learning and independent discovery. They also need to appeal to as many different kinds of learners as possible; including interpersonal, intrapersonal, kinesthetic, visual, logical/mathematical, auditory, etc. Each and every child is unique, and comes from a unique culture that could affect their learning or their opportunities for learning. No two children learn in exactly the same way, and it is important to look at each individual child and how he or she learns best.

As teachers it is our responsibility to provide high quality care and education to each child regardless of race, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, etc.; and to ensure that each child has the resources and opportunities he or she deserves to thrive not only in the classroom, but also out in the rest of their everyday lives. Regardless of where a child is coming from, school should be a welcoming and safe place for all students. It is also important to involve families (in whatever forms they may take) in their child’s learning so that the child can have support both at home and at school. When each child feels included and respected as a part of the class, a sense of classroom community can then be developed. A successful classroom community promotes both positive social emotional skills as well as academic skills. Each individual child that makes up a classroom community is a vital component of the classroom, and deserves an equal opportunity to reach his or her fullest potential.