Haidee Garcia

EDUG 778
Professor Kosky
November 10, 2014
Philosophy Statement
I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are
any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the
human mind and spirit.
~John Steinbeck
As an educator, I view forming relationships as an essential component in everything I do
in schools. My experiences as a student and as a future educator has helped shaped and
developed my teaching philosophy and my role as a teacher. It has helped guide the choices I
make in regards to how my students will learn, teaching strategies I employ and the classroom
management techniques I most gravitate towards.
My role as an educator is to be a facilitator and provide my students with extensive
support while encouraging them to excel in all of their endeavors and help them grow
academically, personally, morally and emotionally. I firmly believe that forming close
relationships with each child, along with their families and learning about their community lays
the foundation to create a welcoming environment that will help inspire students to become
upright citizens with a passion in becoming lifelong learners who willing and consistently
continue to acquire knowledge and make meaningful contributions to society.
My educational philosophy strongly encompasses different educational theories,
resonating strongly with Abraham Maslows humanistic theory of learning and with Lev
Vygotsky views on how learning is socially constructed. Maslows work emphasizes an approach
to learning that is intrinsic and rooted in the growth and development of students autonomy. The
humanist approach aims at encouraging students to become active participants of their own

learning and for me as the educator to act as the facilitator to ease them into the process. This is
done by allowing them to make choices and set their own goals, and incorporate highly
interesting activities that motivate students to learn and understand the concepts rather than rely
on rote memorization.
I believe that learning should always be student-centered. I believe that students learn
best by doing and as a teacher it is my responsibility to prepare instructional materials that
incorporate a mix of practical hands on activities that emphasize collaborative and cooperative
group work. As a strong supporter of Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development theory which
refers to the difference between a students ability to perform a task with the guidance of their
teacher or with peer collaboration and their ability in solving the problem without help. I believe
that learning should be assisted; well scaffold and always bearing in mind that all students have
their own learning styles requiring their own specific needs, most importantly they all bring an
array of strengths and weakness that sets forth in motion the process where students and teachers
learn from one another. In order for this to occur I have to create a classroom environment that is
safe, invites the sharing of ideas and promotes care and respect for the school and all people
I believe the role of the teacher is integral to student learning. In a culturally diverse
classroom the success a student has is dependent upon the strategies the teacher puts in place,
such as, encouraging all students to communicate and work together. This is essential for English
Language Learners who may struggle with constructing the meaning of the language and the
content of the subject at the same time. For this reason, I believe careful preparation of materials
offered to the students is fundamental in the classroom because it is up to the teacher to provide
the best and most productive learning environment for all students.