Philosophy of Education
"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." -Malcolm Forbes
I chose English as my area of concentration because I believe that grammar, speaking, reading, writing, and literature, the foundations of English, are some of the most important areas of learning. These skills not only allow people to communicate their thoughts in an efficient way, but they are also vital to understanding all other areas of learning. In my classroom, I will ensure that each child develops both a firm understanding of the mechanics of language and an appreciation for the power of the written word . This will not only benefit them in understanding the English language, but it will also help them understand and be able to explain processes in other areas of study.
My strengths as a teacher are my love of the English language in all its forms, my skills in planning and organizing for each class, and my desire to see all of my students succeed. I understand that all students demonstrate learning in different ways, and so I strive to provide numerous means of assessment- not only essays, tests, and papers, but also three-dimensional models, speeches, group work, and other forms of creative, authentic assessment- to get students excited about learning. I am adept in learning how to effectively use new technology, and will incorporate any technological tools granted to my classroom. My ultimate goal is to show my students that all literature, no matter how old, bizarre, or seemingly insignificant, has had an impact in shaping not only today's literature, but today's society as a whole.
I chose English as my area of concentration because I believe that grammar, speaking, reading, writing, and literature, the foundations of English, are some of the most important areas of learning. These skills not only allow people to communicate their thoughts in an efficient way, but they are also vital to understanding all other areas of learning. In my classroom, I will ensure that each child develops both a firm understanding of the mechanics of language and an appreciation for the power of the written word . This will not only benefit them in understanding the English language, but it will also help them understand and be able to explain processes in other areas of study.
My strengths as a teacher are my love of the English language in all its forms, my skills in planning and organizing for each class, and my desire to see all of my students succeed. I understand that all students demonstrate learning in different ways, and so I strive to provide numerous means of assessment- not only essays, tests, and papers, but also three-dimensional models, speeches, group work, and other forms of creative, authentic assessment- to get students excited about learning. I am adept in learning how to effectively use new technology, and will incorporate any technological tools granted to my classroom. My ultimate goal is to show my students that all literature, no matter how old, bizarre, or seemingly insignificant, has had an impact in shaping not only today's literature, but today's society as a whole.
Philosophy of Special Education
The link below will take you to my philosophy of special education.
Philosophy of Special Education.pdf | |
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three most important qualities of an outstanding educator
The most important qualities of an outstanding educator are reflection, creativity, and patience. With these three qualities, an educator can recognize when a teaching strategy is not working, create a new way to teach the material, and stick with it until it is successful. These qualities indicate a teacher who is outstanding both within and outside of the classroom, a teacher who can serve as a role model for students, and a teacher who truly cares about his profession.
Reflection is a critical process for any educator, regardless of the number of years’ experience in the profession. There is always room for a teacher to better himself: that one lesson plan that could be modified, that one discussion question that could be rephrased to incite deeper conversation, or that one tie-in to supplementary materials to make the lesson more relatable for the students. Education is a fluid process, not a stagnant one, and so an educator must constantly subject his educational strategies to reflection to ensure that his students receive an optimal education. Reflection must extend beyond the strategies used and into the content as well, because an educator must constantly pursue higher personal education.
Creativity is a vital trait for an educator because students of the modern era crave variety. Lecture is no longer the sole teaching strategy, nor should it constitute the majority of any given lesson. An educator must possess the ability to teach the same material in a number of different ways to fit the needs of the students; this might mean giving a visually-guided group activity to one class and an essay assignment on a supplementary text to another. Creativity also helps an educator understand how his students think: if they are struggling to understand a concept, he can re-work the material into an easier-to-understand form; if they find a lesson dull, he can transform it into an exciting, engaging activity.
Patience is perhaps the most essential of all qualities in an educator. Great patience allows an educator to continue to create great new lessons and reflect on not-so-great lessons year after year. It allows an educator to mold a troublesome student into a scholar, or to take a student’s latent potential and bring it to light. It allows an educator to try new strategies, to approach a topic in a new way, to get the students actively participating in class. Patience allows an educator to remember that, even after a long and stressful day, watching the students succeed makes it all worthwhile. Patience and care go hand-in-hand; and so, ultimately, an educator with patience will be the one who goes the extra mile to give his students the best possible experience.
The qualities of reflection, creativity, and patience are indicative of a model educator, and must be honed in a never-ending process of refinement throughout the educator’s career. This educator will lead by example, creating a stronger and more harmonious school environment, and will strengthen these qualities in his coworkers through collaboration. He will use these qualities to develop positive relationships with his students, and will strive to give them the best possible education.
Reflection is a critical process for any educator, regardless of the number of years’ experience in the profession. There is always room for a teacher to better himself: that one lesson plan that could be modified, that one discussion question that could be rephrased to incite deeper conversation, or that one tie-in to supplementary materials to make the lesson more relatable for the students. Education is a fluid process, not a stagnant one, and so an educator must constantly subject his educational strategies to reflection to ensure that his students receive an optimal education. Reflection must extend beyond the strategies used and into the content as well, because an educator must constantly pursue higher personal education.
Creativity is a vital trait for an educator because students of the modern era crave variety. Lecture is no longer the sole teaching strategy, nor should it constitute the majority of any given lesson. An educator must possess the ability to teach the same material in a number of different ways to fit the needs of the students; this might mean giving a visually-guided group activity to one class and an essay assignment on a supplementary text to another. Creativity also helps an educator understand how his students think: if they are struggling to understand a concept, he can re-work the material into an easier-to-understand form; if they find a lesson dull, he can transform it into an exciting, engaging activity.
Patience is perhaps the most essential of all qualities in an educator. Great patience allows an educator to continue to create great new lessons and reflect on not-so-great lessons year after year. It allows an educator to mold a troublesome student into a scholar, or to take a student’s latent potential and bring it to light. It allows an educator to try new strategies, to approach a topic in a new way, to get the students actively participating in class. Patience allows an educator to remember that, even after a long and stressful day, watching the students succeed makes it all worthwhile. Patience and care go hand-in-hand; and so, ultimately, an educator with patience will be the one who goes the extra mile to give his students the best possible experience.
The qualities of reflection, creativity, and patience are indicative of a model educator, and must be honed in a never-ending process of refinement throughout the educator’s career. This educator will lead by example, creating a stronger and more harmonious school environment, and will strengthen these qualities in his coworkers through collaboration. He will use these qualities to develop positive relationships with his students, and will strive to give them the best possible education.