Teaching Philosophy - Why I Want to be a Teacher

My Personal Philosophy of Teaching
“Why I Want to be a Teacher”
I believe that the most important objective to focus on when teaching children is good morals. The world has strayed away from good principles. The children of today will be the future leaders of our country. I want to encourage my students to be superior adults. Obedience and honesty is the first step when reaching satisfactory values or ethics. I will try to instill this in my students by enforcing good manners and being a positive influence to them. Another thing that I intend to promote in my classroom is that my scholars further their education in college. When I was in school know one ever talked to me about college. College never crossed my mind until after I graduated. I want to stress to my students how important a college degree is. I will give them information about various colleges and scholarships to persuade them to go to college no matter how young they are. It is never too early to think about college or scholarships. I want them to be fully aware of all the wonderful programs that are available for them. Another piece of important advice for students to remember is to always have a Plan B. I know that many students have dreams that may sometimes seem far fetched to an adult. I was one of those students. I am not saying that I will not support their goals. I think it is wonderful if a child wants to play football or become an actress. Those are both great careers, but I will help them to understand that sometimes things do not turn out the way we plan them. So, it is always logical to have a Plan B just incase Plan A falls through. I think that my students will agree that I am a pleasure to work with. My students will definitely have a great time learning all of the information that I will present each day. My classroom will have a positive atmosphere because that is an affirmative way to have successful students. A philosophy is nothing more than an attitude or a way of thinking. I am confident that my beliefs and values are constructive, so I know that my philosophy of teaching will be a success.

Teaching Philosophy - Assessing my Effectiveness

My Personal Philosophy of Teaching
“How I will Assess my Effectiveness”
Testing students frequently is not always the best way to measure their knowledge. Many students do not take tests very well. I will try to create different ways of doing assessments on my students than just using the traditional test theory. I will allow my students to do some take home tests for those that feel pressured with time. I will have many class discussions where participation is mandatory. This will help me figure out if all of my students are on the same page about different topics. I will try to refrain from using “date memorization” tests. I feel that having students memorize data is not effective in the long term. I will focus on what is most important. I will emphasize on the things that they will need for life long skills or college. Helping my students develop different study techniques will also be one of my main concerns. I have always had trouble finding effective ways to study, and I want to make it a point to assist my students that have the same issue.

Teaching Philosophy - Meeting My Objectives

My Personal Philosophy of Teaching
“Meeting My Objectives”
Teaching methods are one of the most important things when educating students. My classroom will not consist of lecturing all day. I will create new and fun learning activities for my students. I will demonstrate many different approaches to each lesson or topic. My class will not consist of “busy work.” Teaching is not something to be taken lightly. When students are bored, they are not learning. I will devote as much time as needed for my students. Many teachers give up on their students too quickly. I want to make sure they comprehend everything I teach, and not get left behind. How will students succeed if I do not make sure they have learned all the material I am required to teach them? I will allow my students to view movies or videos about different cultures. I will let my students express themselves by creating personal collages. Working from text books or worksheets all the time can often leave students dreading school. Students need some extra activities to do that excite them and make them eager to come to school. I want to motivate my students in every way I can to attend school because attendance is of the utmost importance. Without students, I could not have class. I will demonstrate to my fifth graders how power point is used and have them complete presentations in front of the class. The world we live in is becoming much computerized and I want my students to be prepared to survive in our fast paced world. I believe that one on one time is also very important. I want to stress to my students how important independence is. I have always been a very dependant person, and it has caused me to struggle in school. I want my students to learn how to do some things on their own so that they can succeed as adults.

No Child Left Behind

Before I came to South I had no clue what No Child Left Behind was. My instructors quickly informed me what it was all about. It is basically a law that was passed by our country's leaders that stated all children had to be on the same educational level in order to be passed to the next level. This includes children with learning disabilities etc... Students are required to take tests such as the SAT, and they must meet the requirements that are set for their grade level. I personally think No Child Left Behind COULD be a good thing if some specific changes were made. All children do not do well on tests. A teacher's job is to find which way each student learns best. Every student learns in their own individual way. Testing students the same exact way is not an effective way to figure out if they are learning at the level they should be on.

Google Docs

When we first started learning about Google Docs I really didn't like it because I was accustomed to Microsoft Word and I don't like change. Everything was different and I wasn't interested in using it. After completing a few class assignments I realized that Google Docs is actually a great tool. It does have its flaws, but it would be great to use in a classroom. Students can work on assignments and the teacher can see the progress as they're completing it. It's also good that it automatically saves the document so there is no excuse for not turning it in. The teacher will know if the student completed it or just didn't do it because Google saves the work as it's being completed. The only problem I can think of that I may run into is that some students may not have a personal computer at home.

Podcast/Kidcast

I think Kidcasts are a wonderful way for children to express things they are learning in the classroom. It is also a break for them to actually engage together and have fun while learning rather than sitting in a desk listening to a lecture. I think doing kidcasts is also a way to prepare them for the future. It helps develop speaking as well as social skills in which they will need in order to be successful. I wish I would have been able to participate in something like a podcast in elementary school. To this day I still have problems standing up and speaking in front of a group of people. So, I feel that as a teacher I will need to encourage my students to practice and start speaking at younger ages because it will definitely be expected of them as they get older. Podcasts are a great way to prepare them for this.

Facebook/Myspace

I believe that Facebook and Myspace actually may have educational benefits. I have thought about it a lot and I really feel like I may try to use something like this in my future classroom. This is a way to get to know your students better and develop a better student/teacher relationship. This would also be a great way for students to contact me outside of school. I realize that a lot of people forbid the use of social websites such as these, but i will encourage my students to use it for classroom purposes only.