Having a well-developed philosophy of education is important for all educations. How can one teach if he or she does not have a clear idea of how to teach or of what is important in education? That is why it is necessary to develop an educational philosophy and to do so early on. Besides being well educated in the subjects to be taught and knowing how to maintain an orderly and productive classroom, I believe that it is important to be enthusiastic and passionate, encouraging and motivating, and to communicate well.
In order for students to be enthusiastic and passionate, it is important that the teacher be so. I am passionate about both of my subjects: English and Theatre. I fully intend to bring my passion and enthusiasm into the classroom and pass it on to the students. Every effort will be made to be in the best possible mood everyday. Additionally, I will share my experiences in the subject with the class. Another priority of mine will be to present the material in a way that will interest and entice my students. I will make connections between the lessons taught in class, the world outside the classroom, and interests that my students are passionate about. I will plan exciting activities for the students to look forward to. Hopefully by bringing a good attitude and enthusiasm into the classroom, the students will become enthusiastic and present good attitudes as well.
Along with enthusiasm, a good teacher should bring encouragement and motivation to the classroom each day. The best teachers in my life have been those who were encouraging. This was honestly, the best motivation I believe I could have received - knowing that my teacher sincerely wanted to see me succeed. As an educator, I will strive to encourage my students in anyway possible. Encouraging a student to do his or her best will not stop at just the work done in and regarding to class. I will also encourage my students to participate in extracurricular/community activities and pursue personal interests; this will help to build a bond between the students and myself. Encouragement can be a form of motivation, itself. Motivation is a key ingredient in a functional class. Students can be motivated in several way, which can include appealing to their interests, or as mentioned before, simply being passionate and building enthusiasm.
Communication is integral in any career, however, it is especially important for educators. I feel that it is necessary for me to communicate openly and effectively with my students. It is important that I know how my students feel, what is important to them, and what they think of the class. Collecting feedback from students regularly could be a great tool in creating the best lesson plans possible. In a way, the students were grading me; this would allow me to grow as an educator. Class discussions would also be a useful tool for my students and I to communicate. Of course, communication will not end here. If I see a student struggling, I will be sure to speak with him or her one-on-one and see if the problem may be assessed and corrected. Too often students are allowed to slip between the cracks or slide by doing the minimum simply because the teacher does not make an attempt to communicate with the student to give him or her the proper guidance and encouragement. Of course, communication will not be limited to struggling students. I will also make a conscious effort to supply positive reinforcement. When a student does well, I will give him or her positive feedback to promote further growth, motivation, and good self-esteem. Communication will also extend to the parents of my students. Good communication with parents is just as important as the communication between teacher and student. A report card is not sufficient in informing a parent of how well their child is doing. It is easy to simply mark an “A” or a “D,” but a good educator will give positive feedback to both the parent when the student is doing well, and if a student is struggling, I will contact the parents, explain the problem, and propose ways the issue may be remedied. Plain and simply, good communication is integral to teaching well.
Of course, there are several other important to aspects to teaching as well as a plethora of theories and tools I may use to provide my students with the best education possible - many of these you will read about elsewhere in my portfolio. With every education course I take, I learn and grow as an educator. There is no doubt that I have grown since my freshman year. I now hold a much more in-depth view and knowledge of education. Thus, my philosophy has grown greatly. In fact, it is being reshaped and growing with each new course I take. It will continue to grow throughout the rest of my time here at Ball State as well as for the rest of my career. Once I am out of college and teaching, I will gain invaluable experiences that will continue to shape and better my educational philosophy and practices. I believe I will bring many things as a teacher, including: Enthusiasm and passion, motivation and encouragement, and strong communication between myself, my students, and their parents.
