Philosophy

        I believe the purposes of education are to inspire children and to prepare them for the world. I think it is our job as early childhood educators to teach children how to work proactively with others, focus on their personal strengths and interests, as well as adapt to different situations or problems that may occur. We as teachers need to instill these and other important truths in our students by modeling such behaviors, giving opportunities for experiences, and teaching developmentally appropriate standards. In my opinion, education is the most powerful tool we have to change our world for the better and I think a major portion of education should be spent teaching students about proactive collaboration, respect, and love for others despite personal differences of beliefs. I think that education should not be solely based on state or national standards but also on important life skills that students will need to be successful in life.
I believe that children learn best when they are comfortable in their environment. Learners of any age should be able to enter a classroom and think, share, and collaborate without the fear of judgment, ridicule, or harsh comments. Students should feel safe to explore their personal interests as well as create things through guided instruction. Early childhood and elementary school classrooms should be filled with interesting manipulatives, sensory activities, and updated technological tools so that students are able to explore and create. I believe that if all these things are met than students will be able to maximize their potential as not only students but as individuals and citizens.
The curriculum for students should include not only important facts and developmental skills but also life skills that the students need. Curriculum must be differentiated so that all students are able to succeed. This means not only accounting for students with exceptionalities, but also incorporating art, music, technology, and other cross-curricular aspects. I believe that curriculum should be scaffolded to build off of students’ prior knowledge and that this process should continue all the way through grade school and into college. Students should also be given opportunities to select aspects or, ideally, whole units of their curriculum in order to provide them with the chance to take charge of their own education. I believe that if this skill is taught, modeled, and practiced from the earliest of a student’s education, students will be better prepared to choose valuable elective courses in high school and college or during on-the-job training.
A good learning environment must include tools for exploration. Students should be constantly given the opportunity to lead their own learning and explore their interests. Teachers need to design their classroom so that it is conducive to the needs of these interests. A good learning environment should also be filled with diverse areas, such as art, technology, reading and literature, math, science, and social studies centers. I believe that a learning environment should be kept as organized as possible so that valuable time is not spent searching for materials but rather immersed in learning. These environments should be clean and visually stimulating as well.
Children have certain basic needs that must be met in order for them to learn. All of these needs can be found in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In this Hierarchy, important aspects of learning are found at the top and are not even considered to be important to individuals until all other physiological, security, belongingness, and esteem needs are met. I would meet these needs by creating a good learning environment where my students would feel comfortable and safe. I also strive to be open to my students so they know they can be open with me in return.
A teacher should have certain qualities and behave in certain ways. Teachers are role models for their students and are often with their students for longer periods of time than the students’ parents. This means that teachers have the potential to have a major influence on the morality and life skills their students might acquire. Teachers should live with the understanding that everything they do is being constantly evaluated by young eyes who are incredibly perceptive. It is my personal belief that teachers should live according to God’s law and His Word while also being a model of these for their students. While it is not appropriate to share one’s religious beliefs with students or their families, one should live and behave in such a way that your beliefs are evident, such as loving one’s neighbor and taking care of the planet.
In teaching and learning in the 21st century, I believe teachers can exhibit collaboration, cooperation, creative thinking, and communication by the ways they interact with students, parents, and other faculty and staff in the school. Teachers should always be modeling these habits for their students while also encouraging their students to use the same skills on a regular basis. Many of these skills can be taught through cross-curriculum activities such as STE(A)M or utilizing a form of the arts or technology. These skill sets also present themselves frequently in coding and robotics, a newer form of educational literacy that I plan on teaching in my classroom. I believe that, as teachers, it is important to keep our hearts and minds open to new ideas and educational practices in order to find the best possible strategies and methods to use in our classrooms; exhibiting collaboration, cooperation, creative thinking, and communication are all an important part of this journey.