Philosophy Statement

Philosophical Foundation:
The aim/nature of education is to provide an empowering experience that allows and guides children to
develop their passions, critical thinking, and lifelong habits for work and success. It is a process that
appropriately prepares children for their futures and enables them to become creative individuals with
the knowledge and wisdom to lead fulfilling lives. I believe that education should allow children to feel
empowered to believe in their own value, stimulate their interest to question, and be a lifelong process
that enables children to reach his or her full potential.
Theoretical Foundation: The theory that grounds my philosophy is Lev Vygotskys constructivist theory
as known as social constructivism. He explains how children learn through social interactions and that
the teacher and older children play important roles in helping to direct and organize a childs learning
before they can master and internalize it. The teacher is typically active and involved to provide a variety
of learning materials and experiences in the classroom. Vygotskys concept of the zone of proximal
development and scaffolding grounds my philosophy for being a facilitator in the childrens learning
process to prepare and enable them to become independent and the best that they can be.
Learning: I believe that all children learn differently and in different contexts. This is because each child
is a unique individual whose learning style and attitudes may reflect his or her own interests, strengths
and challenges, background, beliefs, experiences and personality. In addition, I believe that children are
active learners who learn through play and learn by doing and exploring. Thus, making use of real life
objects and relating everyday examples to explain a concept is the best way to enable children to truly
grasp it. Lastly, children learn by making mistakes, reflecting on them, and sharing their experiences in
order to grow and develop.
Roles and Relationships: I believe that my role as a teacher is to be a facilitator in the childrens
learning progress and should embark on a journey with the children, being open to learning new things
and allowing opportunities for the children be the ones to teach me. I believe that along with being
humble and patient, my role is to know when to take the backseat and let the children develop a
curiosity that enables them to explore the answers for themselves. In addition, because I believe each
child learns differently, it is my role to establish an encouraging, welcoming, and supportive
environment where I can utilize a variety of approaches and strategies to present the material I teach. I
believe that my role is to create an environment that promotes play-based/inquiry-based learning and
to foster childrens creativity and autonomy. By taking the time to talk with the children, to listen to
them, build trusting relationships with them and to observe them in the classroom will be valuable and
helpful experiences for me in evaluating their individual learning styles. In turn, the knowledge I gain will
aid me in reaching them on an individual level.