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Artifact #3: Philosophy of Education

Why am I choosing teaching as a profession? To be honest, once I got older I went

through many years of dreading to go to school. I only really enjoyed school for the social aspect

and being able to see my friends every day and play the sport I loved. I always disliked the

homework and having to take tests gave me anxiety. I did have a few teachers of whom I

enjoyed having that made the academics more fun and engaging and made going to school that

day a little more worthwhile. I believe there are a lot of adults and kids out there who feel the

same way I do and that’s why I chose to go into teaching. I will strive to be that teacher who

helps students enjoy school, even if it is only for the one year that they have me as a teacher. I

want to be the teacher that makes school enjoyable, makes the days easier, and the learning seem

more fun. Another reason that I’ve chosen teaching as a profession is having the opportunity to

see that light bulb go off in children’s heads when they finally understand a concept being taught

to them. I’ve found that to be a very rewarding experience and reinforces that I’m doing my job

well.

Although I have had a few teachers while in school that I remember thoroughly enjoying

my time in their classes, I don’t think I can think of any specific experiences that I’ve had in

school that have inspired me. I think the person that has inspired me the most is my mom. She

has been a teacher and in education all of my life and even before I was born. She has climbed

through many obstacles and has always came out better because of them. She has been

nominated for awards in the educational system and was chosen to receive some of those awards.

My mom has been many students’ favorite teacher and she inspires me every day to be the best

teacher I can so that I can follow in her footsteps. Her passion for each one of her students she

has ever had is so impressive and anyone who has had her in the past as a teacher is lucky. I, of
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course, have had to be in school because I needed to attend as a student. However, I have to give

my mom the credit of giving me the behind the scenes, day to day, of being a teacher which has

given me a true understanding of the educational process and the teaching profession.

One point that is always mentioned to me in my adult years of working in jobs within

schools is that I just naturally have a knack for teaching and being around kids. This is something

that just comes naturally to me and I am really not sure why. I had a job before I started teaching

that helped me create strong classroom management skills. I feel that learning that skill set is

half the battle of becoming a good teacher and helped me tremendously within the classroom.

Participating in field observations has given me the opportunity to observe different teaching

styles other than my own. Those observations are helping broaden my skill set as a teacher by

incorporating different styles or teaching techniques I’ve observed that I feel will fit into my day

to day teaching and make me a more effective teacher.

The educational philosophy that fits me best is progressivism. Progressivism has a large

focus on developing problem solving, decision making, and life skills in students. I feel that

those skills are just as important to teach students as is the academic curriculum for them to be

successful in the real word when they become adults. The two psychological orientations that

most closely fit my current beliefs about education are cognitive psychology and experientialism

psychology. The two psychologies go hand in hand with one another in a sense because they

both have to do with using personal experiences to connect the dots in learning. I learned best

that way as a student because if I had a personal experience to relate to the subject matter being

taught, I found that I not only understood it easier, I also retained the information for longer

periods of time. Everyone is different, but we all experience things in the same type of way.
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An instructional strategy that I will implement in my classroom is called “Teacher Versus

Students”. It is a classroom management technique that ensures success from the students in

class. If the students behave, are working with purpose, and following directions they are able to

earn points. If they are not behaved, not working with purpose, or not following directions, then

the teacher earns the points. It is an effective instructional/management strategy because there

isn’t a negative impact of losing points for the class. The class needs to focus on earning enough

points to beat the teacher. I will approach student learning by making personal connections with

my students. Every student goes through experiences in his/her life and I feel that it is important

to try to connect with that. When students are able to feel safe, accepted, and understood it

builds community within a classroom, which helps students be ready and able to learn on a daily

basis. That is what I will strive for year after year with each new group of students I receive.

The characteristics and skills I feel every teacher needs to have are flexibility, patience,

and understanding. Every single day in the classroom is different and teachers really need to be

ready to roll with the punches. There will be some days that will be amazing and I feel that I’m

making a difference and then there will be some days when I know I’ll be questioning my career

choice. Teachers need to have the mindset that every day is a new day. Students need to feel

that every day they get a fresh start and the problems they have had in the past are behind them. I

need to remember that the days are not only different for myself, but the days are also different

for each individual life of the students in my classroom. I am almost finished with my first year

of teaching. The specific steps I need to take are to finish this class, which will give me the 60

credits I need to secure my substitute license. After obtaining my substitute license, I will need

to complete the remaining credits to earn my bachelor’s degree in teaching. Finally, I will have

to pass the Praxis tests to ensure the success of my degree.