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My Philosophy of Education
It is important for a teacher to develop his or her own philosophy of education. It provides a foundation from which a teacher can address the purpose and goals of education, appropriate curriculum, students' needs, what the best environment to learn in is, and what defines a good teacher. As an educator, it is my honor and responsibility to provide students with the very best education possible. I see myself as a guide to students, leading them through the education process and allowing them to explore and construct their own personal education. I strongly believe that every student can learn given the proper circumstances.
The goals of education, formally, it is the hope that your student will be a well-rounded thinker and an individual with abilities in basic the educational areas such as math, reading, and writing. Education for the sole purpose of a job or singular skill is hopefully not all that is being gained. My hope is to expand my students' worlds, not to limit them. Education, and in my case, teaching at the elementary level is to build up their basic knowledge and to prepare them for their future in education.
Beyond formal education, my hope is that my students take with them life-long experiences that they are able to relate to life inside and outside of school. Education is not only of the mind, but also of the body and spirit. Also, knowledge of one's community and world is and essential part of education. Students should feel comfortable learning and thinking about the world, which encompasses them, with valuable lessons. My hope is that all students emerge from their educational journey with knowledge beyond what is normally considered as basic school curriculum such as connections to their communities and the world, a sense of accomplishment, diversity and cultural competency, a high sense of self-worth, an understanding of themselves and others, moral development, and social skills. These lessons are of equal worth when developing a child's education.

As I have stated above, school curriculum should go beyond math, reading, and writing. Even though these are of great importance in education, they can't be the only means to a good and well-rounded education. Lessons on multiculturalism are important to teach students about other cultures, tolerance, and acceptance of all races, ethnicities, religions, and genders. Lessons should have global and local ties to reinforce this idea. Environmental education is essential to teach students how to take care of their planet so they have a safe place to grow up in and to put use their education. There should be no reason why every school should not be a green school. Civic education is important to show students their potential roles and rights in this country. Community involvement can show students civic duties in their hometown and can also teach good values. In this day and age, knowledge of technology is getting more and more fundamental. Students should be comfortable and well informed using a variety of different technological devices. It is also important to allow individual time to explore personal interests. Personal interests help develop someone's being and personality. They should be free to explore and advance these abilities. Some areas of interest could include: music, are, drama, physical education, or science. These are typically taught a few times a week in current public schools, if at all. They should be available to anyone who has an interest in them as well as being taught to the whole population to help create a well-rounded student.

I believe that students are unique individuals, each with their own needs, who learn at their best under certain conditions and in proficient environments. It is important to address and incorporate all these issues into a classroom in order to create the most valuable space to learn for all students. With students from all walks of life and of every size and color, a classroom must be flexible; this is also a necessary attribute for a teacher to possess. The environment of the classroom should be inviting, engaging, open, changing, and include areas that are student created. Students will learn best if they feel comfortable in the classroom environment and if it is an exciting place for them to be. A classroom should feel like a community. Everyone should feel welcome, included, accepted, and be a part of the classroom. Students should be taught to be open-minded, helpful, and friendly. When students don't have to worry about all the other politics of growing up, it is easier for them to focus on their education. When the whole classroom is working together in unison to learn a concept, it is more efficient and valuable than going it alone.

The teacher of a classroom is a component of a partnership with the student, parent, and other teachers of the school, to provide the very best education to a child. These relationships help to strengthen the learning process and to carry education beyond the classroom. Beyond these relationships, I believe the most important thing that you can do as a teacher is to know your students. In order to do this an educator must be aware of their students' abilities, learning styles, likes and dislikes, and any problems that might interfere with the learning process. All students will vary on their level of cognitive development. Being able to recognize what level your students are at and if they are processing information to the level that is desired is essential. If you as a teacher are knowledgeable about these things it will be easier to teach developmentally appropriate lessons. Another aspect of a good teacher is that they are competent in the area that they are teaching. This allows them to be able to explain lessons to students using a variety of different methods and approaches, therefore catering to different learning styles and inviting variety into the classroom. Personally, a teacher should be nurturing, fun, encouraging, organized, reflective, flexible, caring, protective, and thoughtful.

I believe that children are individuals with lessons of their own to teach. I believe that there exists a light in children that is not often found in adults. This light makes them pure, inquisitive, excited about learning, and up for anything. I want to be an elementary school teacher to encourage these ideas and to incorporate them into my students' learning experience. I want to show students what a wonderful thing learning is and how much they can accomplish by taking advantage of every aspect of it. I believe that every child is capable of learning and in the right environment every child can be successful. I want to be able to give children every possible opportunity to succeed.