Angel Gutierrez

Edu 201

Professor Saladino

10th of May 2014

Philosophy of Education

I remember the day I graduated high school. The excitement I felt and the appreciation I had for

all the teachers who helped to get me there. Finally all the hard work I did paid off, it was time to figure

out what I wanted to do or who I wanted to become. Since I was a fresh man in high school I always

knew I wanted to become a teacher. It was a no brainer for me, I enjoy helping others. I want to be that

teacher who excites her students to learn, I want to leave a footprint in the positive outlook on

education. Needless to say, taking the introduction to elementary education course has widened my

perspective on what it will take to get me there. I now understand that along with receiving the proper

education, required test, bachelors degree and state licensing the most important element I must

possess to make it in this career is a love for education. After taking this course and observing an

elementary class at Glen C. Taylor I am 110% sure I want to become a teacher. I know that there will be

different obstacles that come along with teaching, not all students will be fast learners others may not

be as social, there will be bullies, there will be students who have disabilities, there will be a lot of

students who are different than one another. I will be passionate about each and every student and try

to do my best at meeting the needs of each student.

My philosophical outlook on education is very similar to the existentialist approach. I feel that in

order for my students to learn they will need to express a willingness to learn. I would want to ensure

that I do my part in helping each individual student find a purpose for why they should learn and what

purpose they will gain in learning. I believe that each student will learn based on their own purpose for

why they are in school and l would hope to allow them to reflect on lessons and relate them to
Angel Gutierrez

Edu 201

Professor Saladino

10th of May 2014

themselves. I also believe when it comes to classroom management, the behaviorist approach can help

me build that well managed class setting. I do not believe in an extreme behaviorist approach but I do

believe that when students do good they should be rewarded and when they are misbehaved I could

create a system of points that are reduced due to the bad behavior. I would also Increase points and

rewards for those students who are behaving and listening. I also believe that in order to create a class

of learners, I should set expectations for the class as well as expectations for myself so that we can

create a classroom community. Learning about the different historical events in education has set a

positive impact on my passion to become a teacher. From NCLB, Brown VS Board of Education,

Individuals with Disabilities Act, and others I now understand that students will come from all different

walks of life, and it is my duty to ensure that all students receive equal education, each student should

be treated with kindness, it is my duty to protect students from sexual harassment and bullying, no

student should be discriminated against due to the color of skin or sexual preference, and no child

should be left behind due to a lack of money or education. I feel that these historical events definitely

helped to raise my awareness of the issues in education and how to properly deal with them.

My personal approach to education will be equal treatment for all students, I would want to

apply a student centered approach as well as a small emphasis on teacher centered lessons to ensure

that students receive the proper instruction for lessons and then I would allow group exercises to build a

classroom community where everyone is working together to build on their learning and understanding

of classroom lessons. I understand that with creating group activities there will students who will try to

group with the same students or their friends, I would hope to give assigned groups and switch them

around every month so that the class gets comfortable with everyone. I would try to mix everyone up
Angel Gutierrez

Edu 201

Professor Saladino

10th of May 2014

and ensure there are equal amounts of boys and girls in each group as well as ethnicities. I would hope

that this technique would help with student variety and outlooks per lesson. These lessons and group

activities will serve as learning techniques to prepare students for future assessments. I would want to

provide students with different types of assessments such as traditional, embedded, and authentic so

that they become familiarized with all types of testing. For example I would have a section with multiple

choice question and in another section I would ask students to give an example of a real life occurrence

in which they would need to use the lesson to solve the occurrence. By doing this I will be able to

prepare my student for future assessments that may occur later on in life.

In order for me to become a teacher I will need to set a goal for myself. The first step in making

it closer to my goal would be to continue the elementary education requirements and my general

education to graduate with an Associates of Arts, I would then transfer to a university or state college to

obtain a bachelors. In order to become a teacher I will need to obtain a certification from the state that I

plan to teach in. In order for me to receive this certification I must pass a series of exams known as the

Praxis Series which consist of The Praxis I, The Praxis II, and The Praxis III. Another standard I would

want to meet would be the INTASC standards and the National Board for Professional Teaching

Standards, I would need to have 3 full years of teaching or counseling experience and obtain a teaching

license. During this process I would be an active member of the community by volunteering in programs

for those in need. I feel that the most effective and important thing I will need to make it in this career is

a passion for learning and teaching.

Angel Gutierrez

Edu 201

Professor Saladino

10th of May 2014