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Running Head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Statement of Personal Teaching Philosophy
Jennifer Sevinsky
Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2016

Running Head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Personal Teaching Philosophy
The art of teaching is a vocation that takes a special individual; an individual with the
mindset of, not how I may benefit from my experiences, but what I can give of myself to benefit
the education of future generations. As an educator, I believe the greatest foundation there can be
is the building of quality relationships between the teacher and student that is built on trust and
understanding of the intentions of, both individuals, in order to achieve mastery in an allencompassing educational, physical, and spiritual mindset. Proverbs 22:6 instructs us to train up
a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it (The Holy Bible,
NKJV). As educators, we have an obligation to nurture the minds of our pupils as mimes of
providing a solid foundation that they will continue to grow upon for the rest of their lives. This
is a glimpse into my personal view of teaching philosophy and how I believe it can have a
meaningful impact within the classroom learning environment.
Beliefs About Learners
All children have different and unique backgrounds that they bring to the classroom
environment, making every childs learning ability and comprehension strategies different. As
instructors, we have to be willing to adapt our teaching methods to fit the abilities of all learners.
While all learners bring different and unique abilities to the classroom, they, also, have the ability
to be changed and molded based on their experiences within the classroom setting. The key for
instructors is to be aware of the differences their students have, yet, being able to use those
differences in order to instruct the same, overlying, principles to the class as a whole.
While differentiation of instruction is imperative within the classroom setting, providing
students with opportunities to take charge of their learning is imperative as well. Students should

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2016

Running Head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

have opportunities to make choices within their learning. It is the goal of the instructor to keep
students, actively, engaged which, often, means letting the students decipher what activities they
are, more, drawn to by providing them options. Along with providing opportunities for my
students to remain engaged, I also, have to be mindful of my struggling learners, as well, in
offering them opportunities for one-on-one student-teacher interaction in order to bring them
where they need to be, academically.
As an instructor, I want to be able to make learning engaging and exciting for my
students; however, I want to be able to instill this ideal into their lifelong learning abilities, not
just while they are in my classroom. It seems one of the greatest questions students ask is in
regards to understanding why they need to learn something or what benefit this will have for
them. If students were able to gain an understanding of the importance of learning the material,
beforehand, it seems they would be more open to the joys that a quality education can bring.
Beliefs about Teachers and Teaching
One of the greatest things I have learned throughout my time within Student Teaching is
just how big of an impact a teacher can have on their students within their physical, mental, and
emotional growth as a whole. As instructors, we hold a great responsibility to our students
because of how much of an interaction we have with them on a day-to-day basis. The amount of
time we choose to invest in our students can make a drastic difference in their abilities to achieve
success.
As an instructor, the only way you will have a meaningful impact on your students is by
understanding why you want to be in front of the classroom. I feel this has been the biggest
question I have been pondering upon since entering the program. Through the majority of my

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2016

Running Head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

education career, from Kindergarten through now, I have gained a better view and understanding
of, just, what it means to be an instructor, mainly through my own difficulties as a student. As a
student who struggled with a learning disability, to see how far my instructors were willing to go
in order to push me towards success has, greatly, impacted my beliefs and views of how I want to
be as an instructor. As an instructor, I desire, to push my students to be the best they can,
especially my strugglers, so that they may see their full potential and be able to understand that
no matter what they may endure they are capable of achieving so much more.
Evolution of Beliefs
Since the beginning of my time within the program I have allowed many of my beliefs
about teaching be impacted by the views and opinions of the people around me, whether they be
other teachers or friends in general. Since the beginning of the program I have, always, heard
nothing but negativity from people and while I tried to prevent these views from affecting my
own beliefs, I have felt they have had an impact, somewhat.
One of the biggest misconceptions I have learned about instructing is that it is not as easy
as society makes it out to be. From planning to grading to making sure your classroom is just
right, the amount of energy that has been put into my efforts to succeed in student teaching has
surpassed everything I ever thought it would require. One of the greatest areas this view has
impacted is my abilities to pay attention to details, especially in the realm of lesson planning.
While I have had my fair share of struggles in planning and implementing my instructional
strategies I have learned that if you take the time to create quality lessons from the get go, it can
save you from much stress in the long haul.

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2016

Running Head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

As a student, I always assumed teachers would come into class every day and be able to
leave their work as soon as they checked out at the end of the day; however, I have learned that
teaching can take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. From the struggles you can endure
during planning to how the students make you feel throughout the day, the ability to be able to
cope with the variety of emotions you may endure has been something I have been experiencing
on a daily basis. While it helps to have the proper emotional support outside of school, I have
learned about the importance of making sure I am taking care of myself on a mental, emotional,
and spiritual level as well. If I dont then it can impact my abilities to, effectively, instruct my
students, which is something that I cant spare to jeopardize.
Along with instructional implementation I have, also, learned the importance of giving
students the benefit of the doubt because they will, always, surprise you. From the strugglers
who seem as if they will never understand the materials to those who struggle with behavioral
concerns, if you have the ability to be patient with them they will, more than, likely surprise you
in the end. In giving students the benefit of the doubt you have to, always, remember that they
are kids and they are going to make mistakes. How you choose to handle those mistakes, as
instructors, can, really, make a difference in your ability to, either, enhance or inhibit the
relationship as a whole; from my experiences, it is, always, better to strive and keep that positive
relationship.
Statement of Goals
At the beginning of my teaching experience, I always felt my goals included influencing
the minds of young children so that they may grow into upstanding citizens of the community.
While this idea, still, reigns true I feel my goals have evolved into so much more. One of the

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2016

Running Head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

biggest things I have found to be in common with all the instructors I, believe, had a great impact
within my life is the fact that I am able to, still, have a relationship with them long past my
school days. This is, exactly, what I hope to have with my own students; the kind of relationship
where they feel comfortable expressing their needs and concerns about anything and have the
ability to come back to tell me about how far they have come, even years after leaving my
classroom. I feel the best way to go about doing so is by building the type of relationships with
my students that go beyond the classroom learning environment. I want my students to be able to
come in and tell me about the things that are going on in their lives, as well as be able to share
their concerns with me. I want there to be a level of trust within my classroom in that my
students feel safe and comfortable as soon as they walk into the room.
As an educator I pride on creating upstanding citizens of the community, however, as a
Christian I pride on being able to create upstanding citizens for the kingdom. Whether I teach in
a public or private Christian school, how I present myself is imperative in showing my testimony
I have in Christ. Whether I decide to teach in a Christian or public school, one thing holds truth
in that I dont want my students to, just, see me in front of the classroom; but to see a love and
understanding that radiates into their hearts and minds, as well, so they may, truly understand
what it means to be a child of God.
Conclusion
The art of teaching is a vocation that takes a special individual; an individual willing to
serve as Christ served the church in giving up their time, energy, and gifts in order to push
students towards victory. One of the greatest things I have learned throughout my time within
Student Teaching is just how big of an impact a teacher can have on their students within their

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2016

Running Head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

physical, mental, and emotional growth as a whole. While teaching can have its ups and downs,
nothing can compare to the joy and satisfaction it can bring seeing the hard work and dedication
pay off on the face of a child once they have reached, not only, complete understanding of the
material, but utter satisfaction in who they are as citizens of the classroom, community, and Holy
Kingdom.

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2016

Running Head: PERSONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

References
The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (1982). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2016