Miss Matalan’s Educational Philosophy

There is so much pressure in today's society to be perfect. My mission is to erase the

pressure of perfection from my students’ brains as being perfect is nearly impossible. I want to

instill in my students that as long as they are trying their best, as well as continuously showing

improvement, that is what counts. However, I will still hold my students accountable for putting

forth the proper effort.

My goal is to help students grow both academically and personally through a mixture of

an executive and a humanist approach. In order to do so, there will be a lot of flexibility in my

classroom. With that being said, there will not be only one specific learning style that is focused

on in my class. It is important to adjust to all students’ needs and help them find the proper as

well as useful learning style that works for them. Collaborative learning is something I believe is

an extremely important part of students’ learning. They will learn to work together and respect

each other’s ideas and/or thoughts. I will teach my students that my classroom is a safe and

positive place. There will be a “no bullying tolerated” policy and they will freely be able to share

their thoughts and ask questions as needed. Through the positive environment that is created,

students will feel more at ease and empowered to accomplish challenges outside of their comfort

zones.

I also believe that I am not only there to help teach the students, but to mentor them as

well. Forming a strong student-teacher relationship is incredibly important to me and this is done

in part by empathy, which is a key component of becoming a teacher. Therefore, I will take the

time to get to know my students from understanding their fears, to their learning method, to some

of their home life, etc. I will put an emphasis on making sure my students know how much I

truly care about them. I will be there for them to help when possible and make them aware that
they are able to rely on me. I refuse to and will not give up on my students. I am determined to

find a teaching style that will conform to all of my students’ needs.

Education and learning is imperative, but in order to be successful, students need

someone that is understanding of their lives outside of the classroom. Someone who is willing to

work with them and teach them skills to eventually reach their highest potential is crucial.