Philosophy of Education
According to the Webster-Merriam dictionary the word philosophy refers to basic beliefs. Though it may have started out as such, my philosophy of education is now anything but basic. Initially, it simply portrayed the belief that every child can learn. I still believe this to be true, however the path to ensure student learning and success is much more complex than one teacher in a room full of children. However, if I had to keep it simple I would say my philosophy of education can be best summed up with the cliche, "it takes a village".
It is without question that teachers are vital to students in catalyzing the development of skills, desire, and motivation to learn. That being said our influence cannot be diminished; however, educating a child does not start and end with the school day. I have always felt that children are the world's biggest asset and to invest in them is to invest in the future of society as a whole. Throughout my career as a classroom teacher I have done everything in my power to ensure the academic and social success of each of my students. What seems to be a simple premise can only prove true with much hard work, dedication, emotional repercussions and unwavering passion and motivation. Teachers must be multitaskers with the talent to maintain patience through any and every type of situation. A portion of our daily responsibilities include: standards based teaching with large amounts of curriculum, standardized test preparation, progress monitoring and assessment, managing large class sizes, communicating with parents, handling health and behavioral issues, nurturing, supporting and encouraging all students, plus so much more. It can sometimes seem as though meeting the needs of every child in a classroom is an insurmountable task. I firmly believe it can be done, but the best teacher in the world can't do it alone. It takes the support of so many more people than just those of us who have the privilege of calling ourselves teachers.
My life's passion lies in helping all children succeed and to develop their own love of learning which will allow them to continue to strive toward their greatest potential. Every child has strengths and every child is capable of learning. Just recently, in a rare conversation with my dad, my true beliefs in terms of education and my role as an educator were confirmed. He stated that teaching is "the most noble profession". He continued with an explanation essentially stating that it's the only profession that will have a tremendous and lasting effect on the lives of so many children, and thus will impact the future for years to come. "Teachers mold the future by influencing children." I completely agree with my dad, but I am also not naive enough to believe I can have the greatest potential impact alone. In terms of impacting students to the greatest degree possible I know that it takes more than those of us deamed "educators". True success can only occur when the entire school and community is invested and involved; every student, teacher, parent, district employee, community member, and legislator.
As previously stated my philosophy of education is now anything but basic. In an attempt to sum up my beliefs... I believe a quality education can only take place with the dedication of many people. I believe holding high expectations for students will challenge them to rise to the occasion. I believe every child has a desire to succeed, but also has different motivating factors. Ultimately, I believe that education is a necessary entity and it is up to our nation as a whole to ensure we are educating every child. Finally, I not only believe that all children can learn, but that all children must learn.