Angie Patterson 1

My Educational Philosophy Celebrate the children they grow up all too fastTheyre our hope for the future, our echoes of the past. You are their role models, in all you do and say, So teach them well to face a world that changes day by day. (Song lyrics by Stan Lefcourt)

When I was a young school girl, I was given so much hope, along with an enormous amount of encouragement from nearly every primary school teacher I can remember. I looked up to them, for I knew they cared for me as a student, and as a person outside of school. I wanted to do well in my studies to receive the praise from them that I knew would always come. Little did I know at the time, the positive interactions I encountered with my teachers were building my selfconfidence and pride. I really enjoyed going to school. I loved it. In my heart, I knew that someday I would become a teacher. The purpose of school is to enrich childrens lives in such a way that they will one day become productive adults and citizens in our society. The children are our hope for the future. As teachers, we may be instructing potential doctors, politicians, or the scientist who finds the cure for cancer. We have a huge responsibility to prepare these children through our instruction. In order to teach children creativity and problem solving, which can be used in many areas of their lives, classrooms should be a creative environment for learning in a variety of ways. Children also develop friendships in school, forming a type of social networking among their peers. These friendship interactions will help the children learn to communicate and learn problem solving techniques. My character will have an immensely positive effect on students. When I begin my teaching career, I will be a mature adult with older children of my own. The life experiences I have had with my own children, as well as ten years of experience working as an assistant preschool teacher, field experiences, and student teaching have all given me a wonderful overall picture of the needs of children. I realize that a teacher plays many roles those of a mother, nurse, psychologist, friend, humorist, and most of all, a role model. A teacher must possess an inner joy that emits brightly to the students. Children have a keen sense of awareness, and can tell if a teacher is there just to do her job, or if she is truly enthralled with teaching. My compassion and sensitivity to the childrens needs will envelop the children, thus, being the first step of comfort and security for them in the classroom. Giving children encouragement and praise is a strong desire of mine; especially for the ones that I may discover do not have much of a support system at home. I will be a good mentor the one they know they can always come to and count on; an approachable teacher equals a successful student. When children come to school, they are overwhelmed with a multitude of emotions. It is my intention to ease children into school life. A warm, caring, and enticing environment is crucial in

Angie Patterson 2

achieving this. My colorful and inviting classroom will be a nurturing center for growth and development for these young children who have so much potential. I want them to know that I will do anything I can for them to help them learn. It is important for me to build meaningful relationships with the children, to know their backgrounds, and to be involved with their parents. Children are strong both academically and socially when they have self-confidence. My hope is to be their biggest supporter in all that they do to help build their self-esteem. Obtaining an education involves more than just textbooks. Physical, emotional, and social components will be addressed in my classroom as well. Through an interactive hands-on teaching approach, children will be intrigued to learn in my classroom. Through the years, I have seen aspects of certain subject areas taught with a song. Incorporating my love of music and singing into lessons will motivate children in their learning. As a past assistant teacher, working with three to five-year-olds for ten years, I have seen how much knowledge is retained through a song. A song or jingle would provide much needed variety to the classroom routine something the children would enjoy and look forward to every day. Any activity that I can incorporate to enhance learning is worth doing. I realize that there will never be enough time in a day to teach every detail I would like, so I will integrate material when possible. I will keep the children active in demonstration of concepts, whether it is a play, a fun class project, or a human demonstration of how the earth revolves around the Sun. I want to make the lessons real and relevant to their lives, not just words on paper. This will also increase socialization among the children as an added benefit to these activities. Children succeed in school when they have interaction in the classroom and out, as in clubs or social events related to school. Furthermore, students will be able to relate classroom lesson to real life situations. When they do, knowledge can be applied to their own personal life. Children should feel comfortable enough to ask question in the classroom, and therefore I must make myself approachable for them to do so or they will probably never get the answer they need. Therefore, the teacher must be opened minded and easy to talk to. On the other hand, students may fail in school when teachers do not realize a child has a learning problem, and hence, their teaching method is not altered when the children are not getting it. Children may also fail due to social reasons such as a poor home situation, bullying, or lack of motivation. I will strive to be astute in the knowledge of what goes on with the children in my classroom both at school and at home. I will encourage them to tell me if they know a child who is being bullied, or if they themselves are being bullied. I detest this type of behavior, and will do all in my power to put a halt to it. As Nelson Mandela once said, Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. We as teachers have the power to change lives, and to make positive impacts on children. We are their role models, so lets teach them well to face a world that changes day by day. (Stan Lefcourt)