Liliana Trujillo

Professor Macias

LBS 405

April 13, 2018

Teaching Philosophy Statement

Although it is said that the role of a classroom teacher first and foremost is an educator, I

have learned through observations and class lecture that teachers actually hold so many other

roles beyond that. Playing the role of an educator is only one amongst the many others. The role

of a classroom teacher consist of someone who serves as a model for students and someone who

will enter the classroom and be their best selves, but also bring out the best in kids. In order to do

this teachers will have to utilize different teaching methods and always take into account student

feedback in order to create a classroom environment that is most suitable for the students to learn

in.

My view on the purpose of education coincides with the Social Constructivism Theory.

Education plays a major role in the students’ lives. They will only be with me for one year, but

continue on to school for several other years. Therefore, I view education as an asset. Something

intangible, but something that will follow along a students for years to come and help them get

through many different phases in life. However, the students should play a major part in their

education journey. In the constructivist theory, the understanding is that the focus is not placed

on the teachers, but on the students (Philosophical Perspectives in Education, n.d., Progressivism

section, para. 4)). Students are not viewed as passive, but active learners. Educating students is

difficult because their learning styles vary, they have different issues to deal with, or some
students have less drive than others. Nevertheless, while they are in my class I would want to

educate my kids in a way where they are becoming experts in the concepts taught. They can take

on the role of a teacher and teach what they have learned. Through this, I hope to help shape my

students into independent individuals, who have developed a sense of respect and pride for their

own work ethic.

To be an effective teacher means to learn how students learn, and use that as a basis on

how to create a productive learning environment. As a progressivists, I understand that all

students have different learning styles, therefore, I will have to organize class lessons in a way

that all my students are stimulated and challenged appropriately. In doing so, this may lead me to

forming groups of students in the class, that share the same learning styles. From observations I

have seen that this classroom environment style, is successful, and studies have also discovered

that learning style groups, outperform students that work in randomized groups or individually

(Bachman, 2010, p. 1). Therefore, the subjects I teach in class will include an organized method

where I place the students in certain groups, however, there will be times where I may need to

check for the students’ understanding on a subject so I would incorporate individual work into

my curriculum as well.

Students of all different backgrounds will be entering my class, but I will have to make

my class into a comfortable environment that students feel accepted and respected in. To do so, I

will utilize various strategies in the class to help create a strong sense of community in my class.

I will have students do activities in which, they can learn from each other and their backgrounds

so that they can look past biases they may hold. I will also allow students to help decorate the

classroom, with their own work or with photos from home. I will also allow students to have
conversations in class about social issues they may have questions about, to show them that their

ideas are valuable and important.

However, I will also have to vary the way I teach the class to make sure that all of the

students have access to learning. I will have to make observations and self-reflect on my

students’ progress and growth, through this I will learn how to differentiate instruction to ensure

all my students are learning (California Department of Education, 2017).

To be an effective teacher will take good communication and understanding. When I

enter the classroom, I will make sure to be empathetic to the different leaning styles in my class

and the outside lives that students live. This will help me build a solid foundation on how I will

structure my curriculum and format my lessons. More importantly, I must create a positive

learning environment for my students so that they are able to learn and grow as learners,

everyday.
 References

Bachman, C. (2010). Using Learning Styles as a Group Selection Technique. Retrieved

from https://www.westpoint.edu/cfe/Literature/Bachmann_10.pdf

California Department of Education. (2017, October 12). Equity - Equity and Access (CA

Dept of Education). Retrieved from https://www.cde.ca.gov/qs/ea/index.asp

Education Theory/Constructivism and Social Constructivism in the Classroom - UCD -

CTAG. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ucdoer.ie/index.php/Education_Theory/

Constructivism_and_Social_Constructivism_in_the_Classroom

Philosophical Perspectives in Education, (n.d.). Retrieved from http://oregonstate.edu/

instruct/ed416/PP3.html

Schaps, E. (2005). The Role of Supportive School Environments in Promoting Academic

Success | Center for the Collaborative Classroom. Retrieved from https://

www.collaborativeclassroom.org/research-articles-and-papers-the-role-of-supportive-/

school-environments-in-promoting-academic-success