Running head: TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 1

Personal Teaching Philosophy

Hannah Miller

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2019

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Personal Teaching Philosophy

All teachers have a system of beliefs that dictate how they view their students and

manage their classroom. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to pass knowledge to my students in

order that they may gain a deeper understanding of the world and how it works. I believe that all

children have an inherent curiosity and desire to discover new things. They are creative humans

capable of having intelligent thought and discussion. It is my responsibility as their teacher to

direct my students as they tackle new problems and grow into responsible citizens.

The foundation of a lasting education is strong relationships. Truly knowing and caring

about my students is at the core of their success. Each student is a unique individual who learns

in a different way. As their teacher, I am responsible for learning about what motivates them and

what deters them. I should also know what their lives are like outside of the classroom. Knowing

the kids and what might be affecting them daily is essential to providing them with the highest

caliber education. I should learn just as much from them as they learn from me. Students will

perform at their highest level when they feel safe and they trust their teacher. That trust is built

daily through intentional interactions that build community within the classroom.

My main job as a teacher is to ensure that every student is doing their best. Everybody’s

best is different. Therefore, not all of my students will be the best, but they will do their best. I

desire to utilize multiple learning styles in each lesson I teach in order to reach all of my students

in some way. Ultimately, my aim is to get every student to fully understand every objective that I

teach. However, I realize that not every student is capable of achieving the highest level of

mastery in every topic. I do believe that every student is capable of setting and achieving goals

within the classroom at any age and intelligence level and that it is my responsibility to foster

this growth.
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Statement of Related Goals

As a teacher, my goals are that my students are loved, that my students learn, and

that I continue to learn and grow as well. I want to create a classroom environment where

students are free to experiment and ask questions without fear or embarrassment. In order to do

so, my classroom has to have established rules and procedures that are learned early and

reinforced daily. Freedom without limits becomes anarchy. Therefore, by establishing a strong

management plan within my classroom, I am able to grant students more freedom throughout the

day while maintaining a controlled and safe classroom. As the teacher, I desire to be an active

listener. I want my students to feel excited to be contributors in the classroom. Children need to

have ownership of their education. They should be able to make choices daily that impact how

they are learning and how they can demonstrate what they have learned. Therefore, it is my goal

to know my students as individuals in order to provide the unique environment they need in

order to be independently successful.

I also never want to become a stagnant teacher. I want to continue growing and learning

just as my students do. I want to be utilizing technology in my classroom effectively. Being

willing to be observed and looking for opportunities to better myself through professional

development are two ways that I want to pursue growth. Teachers have to change with their

students. Each class and each year is different and must be approached as such. I desire to

continue learning from others just as I want my students to learn from me.

Evolution of Beliefs

Throughout my time as a student and a student teacher, my ideas and opinions have

grown and shifted. Initially, I desired to be the best teacher. I am a perfectionist, therefore I

believed that perfection within my classroom was the trademark of success. I wanted all of my
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students to achieve mastery on everything and to have the best score and be the best-behaved. I

thought that a picture perfect classroom and class was the goal of a good teacher. However, the

more I learned about being a teacher and the longer I spent in real classrooms, the more my

views shifted. I have seen classrooms where teachers require perfection and the result is stifling.

The students have no room to be creative. I have also seen classrooms where half of the students

would not, realistically, be able to achieve “passing” scores on their standardized tests, but their

teachers continued to tirelessly work on finding new ways to teach them.

While many aspects of my teaching philosophy have not changed, I do think that my

criterion for success has been altered. Perfection is impossible. Growth is essential. Every child

can learn and achieve something. As a teacher, it is my job to ensure that all of my students are

able to find success within the classroom and according to their individual abilities. I am not

teaching robots, I am teaching children.

Faith Integration

An essential part of my philosophy of education is my faith. I believe that, because all

people were made in the image of God, all children are creative intelligent beings. Proverbs 6:22

states, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not

turn from it” (NIV). Jesus was the greatest teacher. He created safe spaces for his disciples to ask

questions. He taught foundational understandings using a multitude of different teaching

methods for different learning styles. I want to teach like Jesus did; I want to be loving, patient,

and kind to my students. In this way, I believe that I can continue becoming a better teacher and

give my students the best chance to be successful, both inside and outside the classroom.