My+Philosophy+of+Education





William Butler Yeats, a twentieth century Irish poet once said, “education is not the filling of pail, but the lighting of a fire.” It is worthless to fill students’ pails with only factual information. Each year I strive to create a classroom environment that sparks a fire for continuous learning. There are three elements that I believe are conducive to establishing this teaching environment, (1) the teacher using effective approaches to aid all students, (2) incorporating student interests, and (3) providing a classroom community.

All students are capable of becoming life-long learners. I believe that all students learn at different rates and in different ways. In the classroom, I use a variety of approaches and modifications to meet the diverse needs and learning styles of the students. Within the learning process, I encourage students to exceed their personal expectations. Throughout the school year, the students and I will discuss their developing interests. When lesson planning, I seek to engage students through their interests. I also create lessons that are not only relevant in the students’ life now, but also in their future.

In order to best learn, students need to be provided with a secure and intellectually stimulating atmosphere. I seek to create this environment by helping students to develop respect for themselves, their environment, and their peers. Every student is given an equal opportunity to participate in class discussions and other activities.

As an educator, I am always learning and developing my teaching philosophy. I am currently working on my master’s at Penn State University. Thus, I bring my wealth of knowledge, philosophy, and experience into the classroom to best meet the needs of all students.