After 5.75 years of teaching, I can say that my educational
philosophy has not changed as much as it has evolved. To this day, I
hold true to my original thought that education's purpose is to put the
student first in the hope of creating a self-aware, empathetic,
functional member of a society that is ever changing and in need of
constant evaluation and betterment. With that so simply said, I as a
teacher will forever need to evaluate and evolve my own methods in order
to meet the needs of each student and reach this educational purpose.
And with the explosion of a technology-based society, that purpose has
to be met with the effective integration of technology-infused lessons
and best practices.
I believe in the old cliche that an
effective teacher, when asked what he/she teaches, responds with,
"students." In my classroom, I firmly believe that the student, as a
growing person, comes first. A student cannot be told how to be "a
student" while teachers sit back
and just expect greatness. I must give them the tools that help each one
find value in their own individuality and encourage each to seek
growth through education. I have experienced that when you put the
student first, the primary side effect is an empowering of the learning
process. By figuring out the wants and needs of each child, I can better
formulate meaningful lessons that create an environment of critical
thinkers and problem-solvers. I want the role of my students in my
classroom to be that of the lion tamer - not the tamed lion. And in
that, my students are gaining life-long skills that will successfully
translate into an increasingly interdependent world. In short, I
believe that today's students gain more by taking ownership of their
learning and by molding each lesson to fit their particular interests.
My goal is always to find true-to-life application of standards and help
each student guide their own way to success. And that is when a teacher
will witness greatness.
The technological advancements ranging from my time as a sixth grade student ('97-'98) until now
is beyond phenomenal. I quite clearly remember that age-old math teacher
chant, "You won't have a calculator with you at all times as an adult!"
Oh, how the digital times have changed! As a current sixth grade teacher, I believe it is my inherent responsibility to create a community of technologically literate
and digitally efficient citizens. To accomplish this necessary task, I
currently seek any and every opportunity to integrate technology into my
lessons. My school proudly encourages students to engage in
technological opportunities with their own devices with a program called
"Bring Your Own Technology." Students and staff alike have embraced
this program with enthusiasm. In my own classroom, students have used
programs like iMovie and Animoto to create visual reports on a variety of topics and through applications like Flipboard and Show of Hands students follow current events and track peer interests.
Through the use of technology in my classroom, students will learn to
use these devices for social betterment and personal growth. The world
immediately outside the classroom is growing more and more digitally
connected and technologically dependent. I believe the skills to become a
responsible and functional e-citizen must be learned within the classroom.
The signature on my professional email is closed with a quote by Helen Keller.
"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done
without hope and confidence." If nothing else, I want all of students to
always remember me as the teacher that fostered hope and confidence
within each one of them. I believe that my educational philosophy is my guideline to setting my students on the path to achievement and life-long learning.
While this philosophy will undoubtedly continue to evolve, I will always
maintain the role of the ring master. I will always strive to guide and
direct the lion tamers that will become our leaders. And through my
guidance, I hope each student finds the spark within them to find that
perfect path to the perfect job to create a perfect interdependent
society - however technologically advanced it becomes.
