Teaching Philosophy

I have a pretty normal view of education for the 21st century. I see education as a very essential part in every child's life. I think each student individually has a large role in forming and influencing his or her education within the constraints of the teacher. It is up to the student to get how ever much they can out of their education. While the teacher may teach the information, it is up to the student to actually apply the information. This can bee seen in simple things such as homework. The teacher will teach the concepts in class, but it is up to the student to actually apply the things learned in class to their homework. If students rush through their homework then they most likely will not get enough out of it. I think the teacher should focus on each individual student's needs and structure each lesson to cater to every child's needs. 
        I think that the students and the faculty should have a friendly and approachable relationship. I think that the students should feel comfortable enough to approach the teacher if they are confused about something. I also think the students should feel comfortable enough to approach a teacher if they don’t like the teaching practices or if they have a new idea for what to do in the classroom. And when the students approach the teacher, I think they should take their criticism with support and think of it as motivation as to how to better their classroom. I think teachers need to be approachable so the students feel comfortable telling their teachers about problems they are having even outside the classroom. 
I also think that both the students, teachers, and administrators should be involved in things together outside the classroom environment because this will generate a sense of community within the entire school, and will allow everyone within the school to know one another. Learning how to deal with people outside of the classroom and learning how to talk with people at different ages is also very important; which is why I think everyone involved in the school should get outside of their everyday environment and work together. An example of this could be a field day, where all the school staff and the students play on teams for kickball or capture the flag. Another way the whole school can generate a sense of community could be getting involved in a community service opportunity such as visiting a nursing home. Some of the students along side an administrative staff could be involved in getting to know individual residences while other staff, teachers, and students could work on the outside manual labor of the nursing home. This is important because it will establish relationships that may not have otherwise been established within the students and the staff, and it creates a sense of unity within the entire school and the community.
Because I plan on teaching in an elementary school I plan on my classroom being very colorful and comfortable. I want the classroom to be colorful because that will be most inviting for the students. In the sense that I want it to be comfortable I want to have a special reading spot for my students. A teacher I know has a canoe in her classroom for her students to sit in and read; this is fun for the students and gets them reading. I also envision my desk being in close proximity to the students so that I will be able to keep a good eye on all the students and be able to hear what they are talking about. I think it is important to be able to hear what they are talking about because if there is any bullying going on, I want to be able to intervene. I also want the student’s desks to be in groups. This is another way that I can balance gender differences; the girls in the group can help the boys focus, and the boys can help the girls in STEM.
As the teacher, your role is to establish a reliable relationship between parents, fellow teachers, principals, and students in order to ensure that each individual in your classroom will leave with a growth of knowledge. As a teacher you should promote values such as respect, leadership, and responsibility to ensure that your students don’t just learn many new things, but become better citizens as well. The teacher must create a trusting relationship with the parents because their children are being put in the hands of the teacher for at least seven hours of the day. The parents need to trust that their child will be well taken care of and looked after. Teachers must also promise to administrators, parents, and students that their students will actually be learning. If teachers are not sharing their wealth of knowledge to their students then they should not be teachers. I also think teachers should work with other teachers in gaining new ideas for the classroom and promoting an enthusiasm for education. Some teachers may have great ideas that other teachers may not know, but through communication with one another these great ideas will be shared and used in many classrooms. Also as a teacher, I really value continuing education. I think it is important that teachers stay up to date with the technology. I think it is necessary to continue learning because this generates new ideas that can be brought into the classroom, so that nothing becomes old or boring.