Throughout my years of observing teachers, I have seen a variety of teaching styles expressed. I have been in classrooms that have encouraged me and classrooms where I have left feeling defeated. I understand that a powerful teacher is one that teaches lessons inside and outside the classroom, builds strong relationships with their students, and pours into their students. By examining the traits of former teachers, my personal strengths, my own opinions of teaching, and what education means to me, I have gathered components of education and written my own personal philosophy of education.
The purpose of education is to help children develop into functional human beings. It is all about the integral development of a person. In addition to that, education also has benefits to a fuller and better life. It aids the growth of knowledge in multiple aspects. Education results in the betterment of society as a whole. Education is one of the most important things that occur in the world; without it, society would not be able to further itself.
As a teacher, I desire my students to be able to accomplish anything in their lives that they set their minds to. I believe it is through education that they will be able to do so. I also desire for my students to have confidence in themselves. I do not want them to feel that they are not enough just because they do not understand something. I believe all students are capable of learning. They all do not learn at the same rate, as they are all unique and individual, but with different methods and strategies, it is possible.
Students should not be thought of as mindless individuals just waiting to be filled with knowledge by their teachers. Instead, students should be viewed as individuals who can contribute to the classroom, sharing and gaining knowledge from each other. While it is up to the teacher to decipher what type of teaching style each child benefits from, the children can aid in this as well. Students can let their teacher know what ways they like to learn and what ways they do not like to learn. Students directly form the structure and learning atmosphere as members of the classroom community. Students in the classroom should also be respectful of the teacher and the other students. Not only is it up to the teacher, but also the students to make the classroom an environment of love and respect.
I also believe that teaching is not only academic. The teacher must also educate their students by teaching them skills needed to solve problems and further society by teaching them how to communicate and work productively with others. Students have to be able to function in society and the world. The only way they can do this is by being taught not only academic knowledge but also social skills. I believe that it is not only the teachers that should be educating but also families and communities. We all need to work together to support and enrich the lives of our children, who are the future.
Teachers need to use various methods/approaches in order to reach every student. Teachers must reach visual learners, auditory learning, and kinesthetic learners. Varying methods of teaching will create an interesting and fun environment and will help all students succeed. It is the teacher's job to be able to reach every single child that walks through their classroom door. Teachers should self-evaluate and check to see that they are reaching every corner of the classroom. I plan to incorporate every type of learning in almost every lesson. That way all of my students, who learn in different ways, will be able to understand the concept I am presenting to them.