My Teaching Philosophy

Having an education is extremely important these days in our society. It determines what
kind of life you will have, the kind of jobs you can have and will ultimately determine the kind
of success you will have. An education provides you with knowledge, a chance to grow and
become a part of society. My decision to become a teacher manifested itself in my life the day I
walked into West Hollywood Elementary School. As a Latina student in a predominately white
school, I feared feeling out of place there, but instead was welcomed with open arms. My
teachers there knew that I got on the bus from my home district and traveled to their school
district. Instead of seeing me as someone who didn’t belong there, they took it as an opportunity
to provide me with a great education, the type of education I wouldn’t have received otherwise.
It was there that I realized that I wanted to be able to provide that same of welcoming and
comforting environment to other kids someday, my own students one day.
Throughout my academic years, I encountered many people who encouraged me to
pursue and follow my dreams of becoming a teacher. I also encountered people who discouraged
me or tried to send me down a different path, but it was always those teachers who looked out for
you that were the ones that I look back to today. As a teacher, I want to be that person for my
students. I want to be there to encourage them and make them believe in themselves and that
anything they want to do they can achieve. I grew up in a low income neighborhood, but had the
opportunity to attend a great elementary school where I learned a lot. I believe that education is
extremely important and be one of the most defining things in your life. I truly believe it can
determine the kind of life you will have for yourself and your eventual family. It is important to
provide high quality education for students in low income areas because that may be their only
chance and their way out of the life they were born into. It is important to help these type of
students with endless opportunities to ensure their success.
As a teacher, I want to make sure that my students are learning in a safe and comfortable
environment. I want my students to become great problem solvers, become creative and
inventive people and eventual working and functioning members of society. I plan to do this by
making sure that my students are learning in the way that they feel most comfortable. I plan to
encourage parents to become more involved in their children’s academic lives and I plan to go
above and beyond what it means to be a teacher. I want to be a role model for my students and
have them understand that if I did it, they can do it too. Working in low income neighborhood is
something I really want to do because I want to be able to give back to the communities that
helped me become who I am and helped me get to where I am. I want to be that person that helps
others find their success.
Being an effective teacher to me is extremely important because I really want to expose
them to other cultures and other topics they would otherwise not encounter. It is very important
for me to be able to create well-rounded, confident students who truly believe in themselves.
Being a teacher to me means helping them prepare for the real world and all there is to offer.