My Philosophy of Education

            To achieve the goal of helping students learn, an educator must have a teaching strategy that guides the delivery of the course content and specific tactics that can be used to achievesuccess.  I believe the elements of providing effective teaching include building relationships with students and stakeholders, providing quality instruction, planning and preparation, positive classroom environment, assessment, and professionalism.

To become a successful teacher the building of healthy relationships with students and other adults within the school is essential.  An effective teacher will know how they can build trust between each of their students.   It is so vital that a teacher displays positive, encouraging, and honest communication and interaction and shows mutual respect between teacher and students within their classroom.  Showing interest and caring for your students will create a trusting bond with them and the student will in turn reprocate those feelings for you as the teacher.  Establishing this bond between teacher and student is crucial; it will determine your relationship between you and the student as well as affect the relationship between teacher and parent. 

The quality of instruction within the classroom is of great significance upon effective teaching.  Quality instruction should be comprised teaching topics that are aligned with the standards.  As the teacher you must ensure the appropriate level of challenge.  When quaility instruction occurs the teacher focuses teaching based on the learning needs and interests of each student.  Implementing differentiated and scaffolding instructional strategies to increase student achievement is an element of quality instruction.  It is important that the instructional process and content incorporates multiple intelligences and creativity. 

I believe that one of the most important ways to provide high quality teaching is to be prepared for each and every class period. Therefore, as a teacher one must always strive to be prepared by knowing the material, having visuals prepared, and ordering the class in a logical and consistent manner.  In planning and preparing lessons the teacher must select instructional outcomes that define what the students will know and be able to do.  The teacher should demonstrate knowledge of content and pedagogy as well as a knowledge of the students.  The teacher should show evidence of a knowledge of instructional resources in their planning and preparation.  In planning and preparing their lesson the teacher should include coherent instruction and align standards with objectives, learning targets, learning activities, and assessment. 

The atomoshpere that occurs within the classroom is a key element in effective teaching.  The teacher should create an environment of respect and rapport.  Their should be a culture of learning within the classroom.  To effectively do this the teacher should demonstrate skill and competence in managing classroom procedures and discipline.  Their should be a sense of management when dealing with student behavior issues.  The teacher must demonstrate skill and competence in organizing physical space and classroom appearance to create a positive classroom environment that allows for learning. 

            Assessment is vital when it comes to effective teaching.  The students emotional reaction to each assessment performance will determine their response towards learning.  An effective form of assessment should be aimed at course improvement rather than giving a grade.  Assessment is the process of documenting, often times in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.  Assessment should be used to aid learning and may include providing feedback on a student’s work and should not be soley used for grading purposes. 

            When it comes to professionalism, teachers must find a balance between connecting with students and projecting a professional image.  Teachers have greater ethical concerns than many other professions, and also have to maintain standards on their required testing and certification.  A teachers professional reponsibilites include continuous reflection.  A teacher should maintain, in an accurate manner, all appropriate and necessary records.  They must show respect in communication and actions to all members of the educational community and meaningfully participate in a professional community to maintian a proper level of professionalism.