Rhonda Yost's Teaching Portfolio

Educational Philosophy

At my high school the most commonly asked question about education was not are you going to college, but where are you going to college. Every student was expected to go to college and about 95% of students did go on to college. I truly believed that this expectation of going to college was nation wide and at every school. It was not until I got into the education program and started researching and visiting other schools that I learned a majority of students are not even thinking about college, much less actually going to college.

I believe school is a place where students should be taught skills needed to be active and informed members of their society, as well as learn what they are passionate about. It is a teacher's job to push students to reach as high as possible and never limit their expectations by telling them something would be too hard or unrealistic for them to achieve. The teacher is also responsible to teach them proper work ethic and that if they work hard their dreams are closer to coming true. Knowing that some students are taught from an early age that they can only reach a certain potential is heart wrenching. Students should use school as a place to experiment and grow, learning new skills. With these learning experiences comes the unfolding of certain talents that with proper motivation and teaching can turn into carriers or spark desires to learn more. Students should always be pushed, encouraged, and helped by teachers to reach more than the status quo and schools should be a safe environment where everyone works together to make that happen.