Running head: TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Teaching Philosophy
Caitlin Flack
Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2015

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Teaching Philosophy
Before entering the classroom as a teacher, one should discover his or her own
personal philosophy of teaching. Different problems will arise throughout the school
year. Each teacher should have an idea about how he or she feels about these situations
and how they will be handled.
Purpose of Education
I believe the purpose of education revolves around each student developing as a
person. This involves improving academically, behaviorally, and emotionally. School
might be a place where children go to learn about their work, but they are also learning
about life. Teachers are uniquely positioned to shape students thoughts and interests
during the formative years of childhood and adolescence (Powell, 2012, p. 6). Students
spend a big portion of their time growing up in school. Because of this, this is where
they will mold into the person they want to be. The one continuing purpose of

education, since ancient times, has been to bring people to as full a realization as possible
of what it is to be a human being (Foshay, 1991). As a teacher, I plan to help my
students with their schoolwork, but also with major life lessons that need to be learned. I
want them to leave my classroom feeling better prepared for life.
Because they are growing as individuals, students must be in a loving and
nurturing environment. I want each one of my future students to know that I love and
care about them. They should always feel safe to ask questions and be who they are.
Establishing this type of environment in the beginning is necessary in order to have the
type of classroom I want.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Learners

One of the main ways that my students will learn will be through watching what I
do. Children learn from actively investigating the world around them (Lepper). Since
children are always taking in what they see, I need to be a good role model for them. My
students will learn how to behave in my classroom by watching my behavior. It doesnt
work just to tell children You must share. However, when adults guide children through
the process of taking turns or waiting for a turn, the children can internalize those
strategies and use them the next time (Lepper). Demonstrating how to correctly interact
with others will help improve the behavior of my students.
Each of my students will be bringing in different opinions based on their personal
backgrounds and cultures. This will most likely have an effect on their learning. I think
that everyone has a right to have his or her own opinions on things, and this right will not
be taken away when the children step foot into my classroom. I will not make any of my
students feel judged, nor will I allow others to make them feel that way.
Christian Teachers in Education
Being a Christian is something that will be a vital part of my job as an educator.
Titus 2:7 reminds us to Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works
(ESV). I plan on working in a public school, so I will not be able to vocally share my
faith with my students, but I can certainly share it through my behavior. I will treat all of
my students with respect and love just as God has instructed us to do. They will be able
to tell that I am a Christian through my actions.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
I will also make my expectations of classroom behavior a reflection of how He
has taught us to act. Hopefully, by enforcing this kind of behavior, it will stick with
them. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart
from it (Proverbs 22:6).
Evolution of Beliefs

Before entering the classroom, I had no idea how difficult it could be to maintain
a loving environment at all times. There are times when there could be fifteen things
going on at once. Students can be extremely sneaky, so managing each situation is
extremely hard. They are going to say things that are mean, and I wont always hear
whats being said to discipline the child. This is why I believe it is extremely important
to constantly remind children how to treat others. If you begin the school year by
forming a classroom based on respect and do your best to maintain it as the year
progresses, it will hopefully be drilled into the students minds. I definitely am not under
the impression that I wont run into situations where children are being rude to each
other, but I am hoping that I can cut down on the frequency of these events by making
this of the utmost importance. Ultimately, I still believe that forming this type of
classroom is very important, but I am now realizing just how difficult it will be at times.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
References
Foshay, A. (1991). The Curriculum Matrix: Transcendence and Mathematics. Journal of
Curriculum and Supervision, 6(4), 277-93.
Lepper, J. (n.d.). How young children learn. Retrieved from
https://web.stanford.edu/dept/bingschool/aboutbing_philosophy_learn.html
Powell, S. (2012). Your introduction to education: Explorations in teaching (2nd ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.