Educational Philosophy

The purpose of education is to provide students with the skills set that they need to be
successful in their future lives and careers. The education that children receive in school is also
to prepare them to be active and well-informed citizens. In addition, school is an institution that
is structured to teach students how to interact and behave with others in society. Education
allows students to become problem solvers, critical thinkers, and life-long learners. Overall, the
purpose of education is to prepare students for their future endeavors whether it be college, the
workforce, or careers.
As a teacher, I have a specific role in my students education. It is my job to teach the
curriculum to the students in engaging way that will led to enduring understandings. My goal is
not to just have students memorize facts, rather I want my students to be able to recall major
themes and ideas that are discussed throughout the school year. Another role as an educator is to
make sure that students are able to make connects to their own lives. I have to make the content
relatable to all of my students. Curriculum that is being taught is not meaningful if students are
unable to connect the material to their everyday lives. This can be applied in the classroom
through the use of culturally relevant pedagogy. Culturally relevant pedagogy includes the use of
instructional strategies that relate to student culture. Finally, as a teacher I need to make sure that
I am meeting the needs of all of my students. I need to adjust my instruction based off the needs
of my students that can be identified through formative and summative assessments. I have to
show my students that I believe in all of them and give them the support that they need in order
to be successful in my class.
My educational philosophy regarding students in classroom is for them to be active
participants. As a Secondary Educator, I have high expectations for all of my students. I need all
of my students to be engaged in classroom activities, and discussion. I will create a democratic
classroom. My students will have a voice in regards to what types of assignments they will be
assigned. Each and every student is a unique individual. Therefore, there needs to be a variety of
instructional styles, and assignments that fit the needs and learning styles of specific students.
Students will be more likely to be active participants in the classroom if they feel that the teacher
is providing them with various opportunities to be successful. However, students still need to
take responsibility for completing the homework or classwork that is assigned. It is essential that
I help my students develop time management skills to them allocate the proper time to address
all of their school work. It is important that as a teacher I am there to support and assist my
students in any way possible, but they also need to be responsible young adults.
There are many different ways for students to learn in the classroom environment. I
believe that instructional time should be split evenly between teacher-centered and student-
centered learning. As a teacher, I have lots of knowledge that I can offer my students. However,
my students also have valuable information that I can learn from them. I will address this by
providing equal opportunities for both teacher and student centered learning. I am also a strong
believer in Lev Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development. I make use of the ZPD by
incorporating a lot of group work into my lesson plans. I want my students to push each other to
high levels of learning. I want my students to be aware that they all have a lot of knowledge that
they can offer to the table, and can teach each other different knowledge and skills. I need them
to know that they can learn from other people besides the classroom teacher.
 The use of multimodal texts is another important instructional strategy that is used in my
classroom. When teaching Social Studies, it is essential to teach students how to look at multiple
texts and then come to their own conclusions about historical events through using analyzation
and critical thinking skills. Technology is so widely available to educators, it is very easy to go
on the internet and find variety of sources to use in the classroom. For example, documentaries,
memoirs, photographs, diaries, history channel video clips. Using multimodal sources will also
benefit students who have different learning styles.
One final goal that I have is to develop a sense of community within the classroom.
Students need to feel comfortable and safe in my class. I never want students to not participate
because they feel that they have nothing of value to offer to the rest of the class. I will establish a
sense of community by developing professional and meaningful relationships with all of my
students. They need to know that I care about what they have to say and that they each
something unique to bring to our class. Creating a sense of community will help with classroom
management.
Overall, I feel that as an educator I need to prepare my students for the real world after
leaving high school. It is my responsibility to make sure that my students are informed citizens
who are ready to actively participate in their communities. Also, my students need to have the
skill set and knowledge that will allow them to be successful in college, and future careers. It is
my goal to make sure that students walk out of my classroom at the end of the year ready to take
on the next chapter in their lives.