A person becomes a teacher not for the money, benefits of having weekends off, or

summers off. A person becomes a teacher to change the world, one student at a time. Teachers
are incredibly important for our community and world. Without teachers, students would have no
way of learning reading skills, science experiments or small life lessons. Through my
philosophy, the ideas incorporated into a classroom are expressed through experiences, guidance
from others and passion. All children have the right and responsibility of learning experiences
while in a classroom.
The learning focus in a classroom should consist of diverse ideas and the process of
learning how to think. Through learning focus, students should incorporate the personal
experiences that they have experienced in their very different lives. With the personal
experiences, current events will be tied into the lessons. Learning will be taken on by students
creating questions for themselves about the materials. From a teachers perspective the questions
will be made open ended and incorporate many levels of correct answers. Teachers will be
focused on the learner development by examining the process not the result of the learning that is
being done during lessons. The applications of content that will be added to the learning focus
are using the many different perspectives for the student, critical thinking, creativity and problem
solving skills. The assessment component is related with the learning focus by having the open
ended assessments as well as multiple answers that have been created by the personal
experiences.
Teaching styles affect how the learning focus of the lesson is presented. A teacher with a
teaching style of being collaborative with students is one that has a student-centered philosophy.
The teaching style would have less time of the teacher talking, more across disciplines, and

discovery based learning. A teacher would be more focused on the development of big ideas and
problem solving than lecturing. Planning for instruction and lesson plans are created from the
teacher will not be detail by detail but follows along with the big idea and allows the students to
take the learning from their own perspectives. Content knowledge is also another key component
to the teaching styles. Being familiar with the expectations that are given to teachers by the state
and local levels is also a must in planning. A teaching style that is student centered will have
more exploration and a big idea background than a textbook style approach. The teacher with the
instructional strategies that involve investigations of the materials will allow for the students to
have a more hands on experience rather listening to a teacher talk about how to do the activity. A
teaching style that involves collaborative work from both the teacher and student will be more
acceptable to a student centered classroom. The learner differences are addressed in teaching
styles because of the diversity which enter a classroom. The diversity will come from many types
of areas: ethnicity, socioeconomic, disability, religions, etc. Teachers who incorporate all types of
learning will be more successful in bringing together differences for a common goal to explore.
Teachers have to establish leadership styles. These styles will be coming from the way in
which they teach. Involving ones self in ongoing research, staff meetings, and committees
throughout the school is showing the students how to lead. In a classroom that is student
centered, the teacher will allow his or her students to have opportunities for students to be in
charge of their own classroom. Whether it is taking on different events throughout the school or
just in the classroom, the teacher would show the ways in which they show leadership and allow
the children to do the same. The focus on leadership styles are professional learning, ethical
practice, collaboration and professional behavior. Attending conferences, board meetings,
workshops, and observing colleagues are all ways that a teacher would show professional

learning. Ethical practice comes into place in a classroom setting by making appropriate choices
for others like students, parents, and their community as well as being able to understand the
needs of the students in the room. Leadership styles that involve collaboration with colleagues is
important because of the ideas and considerations that are given to one another for the success of
students. Professional behavior comprises of being on time to work, making choices that are
appropriate in a role as teacher and making one competent in a social aspect.
With leadership styles, learning focus, teaching styles all take part in creating the
classroom climate. Classroom climate is important to a student centered philosophy because of
the control students have in making the climate run smoothly. A teacher in this role would allow
students to have the voices in how to discover and learn in the setting. The climate of the
classroom is one of the top important aspects to running a classroom that is successful. In a
learner environment, the students would be in a climate that would allow them to take their
interests and ideas to a place that is successful for them. For example, a student interested in
monkeys could take it upon his or her self to learn about the types, habitats, and health during a
lesson about nonfiction. Allowing the children to have freedom through adding their own ideas,
thoughts, feelings, aspirations or fears will make for a classroom to be community like. A teacher
who is flexible with the way in which lessons go or centers are being done makes a classroom
incorporate the learning development of students. Having books, articles, and other resources
available to students at all times give them the sense of being able to explore and share their
interests with others.
Discipline and motivation are attached with the classroom climate components.
Discipline in a classroom which is student centered incorporates a balance between the teacher
and students. The control of both the teacher and the students is equal and one does not cross the

other. Allowing the students to make their own rules and stressing the importance for all to obey
is a way to promote the positive behaviors. Emphasizing the importance of ones actions toward
others affects everyone. The students need to understand that rules will be something to be
followed all their lives. Respect, self-esteem, conflict resolution, and self-control should be
reflected in the student centered learning. We would be looking at the content knowledge piece
of the program goals which allows the teacher to know the structures of discipline which are
present in his or her classroom. With discipline, comes the motivation in a classroom. The
motivation for the students should be internal. They should know the motivation that the teacher
and other staff members demonstrate but take it upon themselves to self-evaluate their work and
actions. The instructional strategies that are in place that are a part of the motivation are
allowing them to understand the importance of being themselves and exploring the big idea. The
classroom should feel as though hard work is expected with a strong mental discipline plan. The
teacher will be focused like stated earlier on the process not the result.
The classroom organization is another important aspect of a successful setting. A room
that is open with materials, student desks, learning centers and students work is going to feel
more available for discovery based learning. The arrangement of the desks, chairs, book cases,
shelving, etc. should be able to move in a safe and welcoming way. For the learning
environments, having the desks in groups will allow students to collaborate as groups. Also
having circle tables throughout the room will allow for exploration and room to spread out when
learning is being done. As a teacher it is important to be flexible and compromise with the
classroom organization.
A philosophy of a teacher is ever changing with the new research, experience year after
year and the individual students that touch a teachers life. Having the opportunity to be a teacher

in a time with such need and demand is an opportunity. Our students need to be open minded,
flexible, and ready for a learning experience that allows them to dig in and explore their
surroundings and ideas.