My Educational Philosophy

I Teach to serve

My philosophy of education is that the role of a teacher is to prepare students for the future in a rapidly evolving world. We must prepare them to be able to adapt and thrive by teaching them the skills and the knowledge required to be responsible members of their respective communities in society. I believe a teacher’s role is by definition to be the best version of ourselves that we can possibly be. I believe in creating a welcoming learning environment based on tolerance, acceptance and diversity in my classroom where all students can feel safe. I believe a teacher should nurture and lead by example. To model both character and integrity, to mold and not bend.

We must teach our students the character traits that they will need to succeed out in the world such as honesty, respect, patience and responsibility. My classroom will be founded on safety, acceptance and equality. As an educator I commit to fulfilling all my contracts, upholding the educators code of ethics, obeying school policies and to hold myself with integrity and professionalism at all times. This professional path means that I will strive continuously to increase my own education so I can better educate all the students that come into my classroom. That I will seek help when I need it and listen to the voice of those that have gone before me as I look to them for wisdom.

As teachers we have a responsibility to help shape the minds of the future generation and that is a responsibility that I will not take lightly. I believe Educators should be sensitive to individual learning and social needs of students and embrace the cultural diversity of the community. I am an advocate for Differentiated Learning in the classroom and I have a passion for ESL. One of my greatest passions is helping children who have come to this country, fall in love with English as a language just like I did when I was a child. My desire is to continue working alongside children who have English as a second language and give them the support and help they need throughout their linguistic transition and journey through their school careers. Knowing first-hand how difficult the road towards language acquisition can be created in me the desire to be the facilitator and mentor of the experience I wish I had when I was a student learning a second language. It may get hard and frustrating but having that one person that really cares and understands what you are going through can make all the difference. I wish to be that person to many, the one that made the difference and helped propel others towards success. It is a challenge certainly, and by no means an easy one, but I cannot think of anything more rewarding that when one of my students shows growth through hard work and dedication.

To achieve this professional goal, I will present a curriculum in my classroom that adheres to state standards and is also geared to serve a wide range of learners and learning styles. I will incorporate hands-on learning, differentiated strategies, I can do statements, team activities and projects, and individual work that engage and activate students learning. I will also utilize content-specific technology that will support my lessons and encourage students to keep learning in new ways. I will create performance measures, targets, and initiatives in my classroom to ensure success in each goal area that can be tracked so that students may be encouraged by their progress in the classroom as they progress through the year.

I believe that the most important thing for a teacher is to never stop learning. We will never know all there is to know and much less about our students and their needs. In order to be successful in this profession we must have a teachable attitude. We need to accept that we are not always right and that there are different ways to approach and tackle any situation. We should not only preach about tolerance but practice it every day. It is my belief that a teacher’s job never ends and I will dedicate my life and career to serve.