Philosophy of Teaching

Through the education that I have received from St. Thomas University and my

experiences teaching in the classroom, I have developed a personal teaching philosophy that will

be implemented into my future classrooms. As an educator I strongly believe that every student

is capable of learning, and that is my job as a teacher to get to know my students as whole

individuals so as to facilitate their growth. By understanding each students’ strengths and areas

of weaknesses, and through adapting a wide breath of teaching methods, I feel I can provide my

students with the best possible chance at success.

I have always strived to support every student of mine by breaking learning up into

manageable chunks, and by providing a concrete structure for each (Vygotsky, 1978). When

these supportive strategies are no longer necessary, I ensure that my students gradually take on

the responsibility of their own learning (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983). By using appropriate

scaffolds in the classroom, I have seen my students move towards a deeper understanding of the

content, and a greater independence in their learning process. In the classroom, I have used

several scaffolding techniques such as the use of visual aids throughout my lessons. For instance,

my I Can Statements that I display at the front of my classroom are always accompanied by

visuals which also convey the desired outcome. I find that when I use appropriate scaffolding

techniques my lessons often take longer, but the learning that takes place is far greater than the

alternative.

During my brief time teaching thus far, I have made it a point to use instructional

strategies that appropriately address the different learning styles of my students (Gardner, 2011).

I believe that in order to be an effective educator a teacher must know their students’ preferred

learning style, so that they can best plan instruction to meet their students’ learning needs.

Throughout my time teaching I have watched as several students who were struggling, all of a
sudden grasp a concept when it was taught to them using a new instructional strategy. These

“aha!” moments have taught me the importance of using multiple modes of input when teaching,

as a student’s academic success and confidence could depend upon it. As well as teaching to

every students’ strengths, I also believe it is important to monitor a students’ academic progress

through different forms of assessment. Rather than adopting a “one size fits all” mindset towards

assessment, I have worked at creating assessments collaboratively with my students. By

providing flexibility in the way that I assess, I feel I will be achieving a clearer and fuller picture

of what my students have learned.

Lastly, I believe that one of my strengths as a teacher is my ability to build meaningful,

and genuine relationships with each of my students. At the most basic level, students just want to

know that their teachers “understand them, appreciate them, and recognize their unique qualities,

skills, interests, needs, and personalities” (Marzano, 2005, p.59). Through my time teaching, I

have found that these positive relationships not only prevent future discipline problems, but they

also translate into students wanting to perform well for me and enjoy coming to school. I see my

job as a teacher to not only make my students successful academically, but also socially and

emotionally. Therefore, I am fully committed to continuing to go “the extra mile” and do things

that directly show my students how much I care for them.

In conclusion, similarly to producing lifelong learners, I hope to also continue to learn

from the teachers, students, and parents that I am surrounded by. With that being said, I believe

that my philosophy and teaching styles may change overtime as I myself grow and evolve as an

educator. I look forward to this lifelong process, where I will undoubtedly learn new strategies,

ways of thinking, and philosophies.

 References
Gardner, H. (2011). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York, NY:
Basic Books.
Marzano, R.J. (2005). A Handbook for Classroom Management That Works. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension.
Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3), 317-344.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.