Katherine Taelman Teaching Philosophy

My philosophy of teaching centers on the importance of rigor, consistency and relationships.

Through my own experiences in education as a student and my professional experience, as a
teacher, those themes are the most important and ongoing.
My first area of focus as a teacher is rigor. The world we live in, and the world our students will
be adults in, is ever changing. The knowledge and skills that jobs are requiring is becoming
more diverse and more demanding. We (and they) do not know what will be required of them
as adults (McCoy, 2008 as cited by Lane, 2008). If teachers do not raise the bar, require more
of their students, our student will not be ready for anything they may want or need to do at a
job or in life. They will also lack the ability to adapt and be resilient. Looking back, the best
teachers I had required me to work harder than I wanted, longer when I wanted and for less
obvious reasons than I understood. Looking at my success in college and my successes so far
as teacher, I was able to rise when I needed to.
Being a teacher who is consistent both in their expectations and their quality of teaching is
related to how successful the teacher is. Students need to know what is expected of them, in
both academics and behavior. They need to understand expectations do not change based on
moods, students or at the convenience of the moment. Being inconsistent with expectations is
similar to changing the rules of a football game at half time. Being consistently great is
important too. Make every single moment of your day important and valuable. When you think
about the number of minutes we have in a day and how little it is compared to the lifetime our
students will have after they leave us, it is important we not waste it or sabotage it. Teachers
who hold on to their passion, their drive and expectations each day, for each minute are the
pillars of education (Danielson, 2006. P. 11). The time we have with students is too short, we
have to always strive to be a great teacher. The last reason consistency matters, is because no
Katherine Taelman Teaching Philosophy
matter how much teachers may pretend they are on an island, we are all connected in a school
community. More importantly, what we do effects all people, it affects what we become as a
society, country and world (Remen, 2006). Because of that, it makes it that much more
important to make sure we are all committing to deliver excellence. If we are not consistent,
our power is weaker, our impact is lessened and our efforts are often lost (Danielson, 2006. P.
13, 15). After all, we are all connected; our wins and losses are shared (Remen, 2006).
Looking back to my experiences in school, I am convinced that the only reason I survived my
teenage years and had chosen to be a teacher is because of a few teachers that emphasized
relationships. When I was in high school, my parents had a very messy divorce, my brother
was away serving in Iraq and had I other major losses. What saved me, was that I had a few
teachers who really cared about me. They didnt know what was going on at home, they didnt
know how much I was struggling, yet they were always there when I needed them. Now that I
am a teacher, I cannot emphasize enough how important compassion, as well as building and
maintaining relationships are. I love my students, as though they were my own. I celebrate
their victories, wipe the tears from losses, and guide them when they need it. In my school in
particular, if there isnt a relationship built (or at least attempted), there is little chance of
success as a teacher. The teachers who make no effort to care about who the students really
are, usually have more behavior issues, have more personal items stolen and do not last very
long. Recently, I was asked by a newer teacher, how I avoid burnout year after year. After
reflecting, I told her that whenever I feel worn out, I reflect about what exactly I love about my
job. It all boils down to the students and colleagues I work with.
Katherine Taelman Teaching Philosophy
My father once told me, leave everything better than how you received it. This is how I see my
students. In The Art of Possibility (2002), Zander explained that we need to make sure we are
always focused on our contribution in life, not our achievements.
I believe, ALL students deserve a great education and the colleagues that I work with deserve
a great co-worker. If I am challenging and preparing them for the unknown; being steady and
reliable each day; keeping their best interests at heart then I am doing what I set out to do.












Katherine Taelman Teaching Philosophy
References
Danielson, C. (2006). Teacher leadership that strengthens professional practice.
Alexandria, VA; ASCD.

Lane, B. (Creator). (2008, July 18). The ABCs of educational leadership [Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRAZ4iu-EgA.

Remen, R. (2006). Becoming a Blessing: Living as if your life makes a difference (2006
Bioneers Conference) [Video file]. Posted in http://learn.marygrove.edu.

Zander, B., & Zander, R. (2002). The Art of Possibility. New York: Penguin.