My Educational Philosophy

As an English teacher, my goal would be to contribute to building an inclusive, diverse society that takes care of the mental health of students, where respect for cultural and linguistic differences is fundamental. English education plays a crucial role in this vision by promoting effective communication, intercultural understanding and access to global opportunities. Since I believe that having a second language like English, people have a key that provides a certain advantage when finding opportunities, both for personal and professional growth. In addition, education in English can foster critical thinking, creativity and empathy, essential skills to address the current and future challenges of our society and that the majority of the children who pass through my classroom will have to face. The purpose of education in a society is to prepare young people and children so that they can reach their full potential, contribute significantly to the development of society and be responsible and ethical citizens. However, from my perspective, the purpose of education goes beyond all of this. As a teacher, my educational philosophy is based on making my students, beyond understanding, participating and developing academically, learn other skills for their daily lives. Many times teachers are that constant figure in children's lives, so being an example and a person who always has something to offer them is a personal goal. Helping them in aspects of daily life, values, responsibilities and helping them see a different perspective on life is something that I consider is part of the role of educators.

This is linked to the fundamental importance that the ability to think and reason represents and contributes to students having meaningful learning. These skills allow students to understand concepts, make connections, solve problems and apply what they have learned in new situations. Critical thinking and reasoning skills also foster intellectual autonomy and informed decision making, leading to deeper and more lasting learning. Therefore, as an educator, I consider and recognize that the school must contribute to the development of thinking and reasoning abilities in all students. So in my classroom, while I teach my English subject, one of my approaches is based on recognizing that not all children and young people have the same abilities. That everyone has the ability to perform the same skills regardless of various factors, such as socioeconomic environment, access to educational resources, individual differences in cognitive development and special educational needs.

For these reasons, I consider that it is important that my students understand that there are different types of intelligence, and that thanks to this, each of them can express their knowledge in the way in which they best perform, is a priority in my teaching method. It is therefore crucial that education is inclusive and tailored to the individual needs of each student, providing additional support where necessary and promoting a learning environment that encourages critical thinking and reasoning at all levels. For this, in my short experience I have noticed that the best thing that can be done to guarantee this is to encourage students to ask questions, analyze information and look for answers on their own, thus encouraging questioning in them. In addition to providing opportunities for students to address complex problems and find creative solutions. Challenging themselves and seeing every day that they can go beyond what they initially considered. Promoting critical thinking means developing the ability to analyze, evaluate and question information in a thoughtful and informed way. This will allow students to make informed decisions, solve problems effectively, and participate actively and responsibly, not only in the classroom, but also in society.

Moral education is essential for the comprehensive development of students and for the formation of ethical and responsible citizens. By teaching values such as honesty, empathy, respect, justice and responsibility, schools not only promote a positive school environment, but also prepare students to face ethical and moral challenges that may arise in their personal lives. and professionals. So these same values and principles are the ones that will be openly promoted in my classroom.Values such as respect, honesty, empathy and justice are, in my opinion, those values that should be highlighted and encouraged the most. These values are important not only because they are universal, but because they are equally applicable in any cultural or social context, they are fundamental to building healthy relationships, promoting social cohesion, and addressing ethical and moral challenges in any society. Furthermore, as an individual, I consider these values to be essential to creating an inclusive, fair and caring society, in which all citizens can thrive and reach their full potential. Therefore, the best way to guarantee that a part of future working citizens are prosperous and proactive is to begin to instruct them by modeling these values and actions to children from their first years of learning.

For this, knowledge in school can be transmitted, discovered and constructed, and all these approaches can play an important role in the students' learning process. Starting with discovery as this will encourage students' curiosity, autonomy and critical thinking. Continuing with construction and its approaches to learning that emphasize the importance of students constructing their own knowledge through interaction with information, reflection and collaboration with others. This involves students relating new ideas to their previous knowledge and experiences. For knowledge to be produced at school, it is important to stimulate a variety of cognitive skills and processes, such as analysis, memorization, reflection, intuition, research and experimentation. Additionally, students must feel interested, motivated, safe, and emotionally engaged in their learning for it to be meaningful and lasting. Regarding the organization of knowledge in school, while traditional classes or subjects can provide a useful structure, it is also important to establish connections between different areas of knowledge. This promotes a deeper, more holistic understanding of the world and helps students see how different disciplines are interrelated in real life. This can be achieved through interdisciplinary approaches, collaborative projects and activities that integrate multiple areas of knowledge. 

For this, it is necessary to understand what the terms teaching and learning mean since these are interconnected and complement each other in the educational process. Teaching involves the action of transmitting knowledge, skills and values from one individual (the teacher) to another (the student) through various pedagogical methods and strategies. While learning, on the other hand, is the process by which individuals acquire, assimilate and understand new information, develop skills and change their attitudes and behaviors. Although teaching and learning are distinct actions in terms of who is performing the action, they are closely interconnected in the educational context. Teaching provides the opportunities, resources and context for learning to occur, while learning is the response to and assimilation of what is taught. Furthermore, the teaching process can influence the way students learn, and vice versa, as students can actively participate in their own learning process by interacting with the information and the teacher. It is important to provide a solid knowledge base through presentations and materials. Be clear enough when explaining complex concepts and theories through detailed explanations and relevant examples. But most of all, encourage the exchange of ideas and perspectives between students and the teacher through guided discussions, debates and group activities. A balanced combination of these strategies can promote more meaningful and effective learning. Always demonstrating to our students that although we are educators who teach a specific subject, we are also open to interweaving other subjects in our classes for their benefit and understanding.

To conclude, I can say that from my perspective, the role of educators is to facilitate that students obtain a development in which critical thinking is promoted, that they are always invited to reflect, keeping in mind empathy and respect for the diverse situations that people can face. May they be able to gradually shape their behavior and define their positive values. As teachers we should aim to promote meaningful and lasting learning in students, as well as foster our own continued professional development. Being an educator is a profession for which you never finish studying. As I mentioned before, we learn day by day from our students at the same time as they learn from us. Always stimulating their learning in as many different ways as possible. Fostering trust and mutual respect between students and between the teacher and students. Ensuring an environment of openness and acceptance where differences are celebrated and the participation of all students is promoted. Stimulating curiosity and creativity by encouraging exploration, experimentation and critical thinking. And most importantly, always integrating fun in the most appropriate way possible. We cannot forget that they are children, they like to have fun and we cannot allow that part of their childhood to be lost in the midst of so much learning.