Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Philosophy Statement
The Philosophy Goal is as follows: A teacher can describe the teacher’s philosophy of
education and demonstrate its relationship to the teacher’s practice. The project selected to
represent this goal is my personal Teaching Philosophy. This project explores my initial teaching
philosophy from the beginning of the Master’s of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. Throughout
the program my philosophy has morphed into a working philosophy, as I have had practicum
courses, and student taught in kindergarten. “A principle or philosophy is only truly valuable if it
As a pre-service educator, I have been humbled through my experiences thus far in the
classroom. My ideas of how I think a classroom ‘should’ be managed have completely changed
after entering into different classrooms. “Philosophy helps us to be interested in personal beliefs
and values, understand who we are and the reason of our existence and to some extent where we
go” (Saritas, 2016). Creating and expanding my views for the classroom has been a journey.
can find out the teaching problems, check their teaching behaviors and improve their teaching
ability” (Wang, 2018). I have a passion for learning and I want to pass the love of learning, and
Bronfenbrenner for their abilities to stretch the minds of students and connect them to their
families, their school, their community and their environments. These important theories underlie
the basis of my philosophy; it’s all about making the necessary connections. “Educational
philosophy studies the theoretical bases on which the available educational practices are based,
MASTER’S ACADEMIC PORTFOLIO Monta 2
and criticize them” (Saritas, 2016). Vygosky presents the idea of stretching students to the edge
of their zone of proximal development, during student teaching I was able to witness how the
host teacher took her advanced kindergarteners and challenged them with first grade material.
The community often is involved with our school, with the benefit that educators can incorporate
the values and esthetics of the community into the culture of the classroom.
The semester of student teaching elevated my experiences with teaching and assisting
students with a wide range of abilities. The challenges of working with a variety of students led
to critical thinking of how to evaluate my philosophy, designing lessons and adapting procedures
to accommodate all students. “If it is accurate, the [Teaching Philosophy Statement] TPS
provides students with a valid preview of how their teacher intends to meet the course learning
objectives. Sharing the TPS might also help to personalize the teacher, create a bond between
students and teacher, and encourage a sense of community” (Brinthaupt, 2014). Transparency is
a critical element to successful relationships between the students, parents, families and the
community, of the elements of classroom functions and how the students learn.
The past few years of working in a school has brought many realizations: all students
have unique needs and desires; educations is not the same as it was when I went to school; and
the opportunities that are presented for students in this day and age are spectacular. “An
interesting, creative, and caring teacher's philosophy statement does not come from thin air; it
evolves from a range of reflections and insights about students and the learning process” (Pike,
Bradley & Mansfield, 1997). Philosophy, much like professionalism, is not as effective or
efficient when studied out of books alone. As my father has reminded me: life is about the
experiences and the stories. I’m experiencing more everyday with students that will help shape
References
Improve One’s Teaching. Journal of Faculty Development, 28(3), 23. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=edo&AN=98249449&site=eds-live
org.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/10.1016/j.asw.2013.09.004
Pike, B., Bradley, F., & Mansfield, J. (1997). Philosophy of Teaching: Developing a Statement
That Thrives in the Classroom. The Clearing House, 70(3), 125. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.30189265&site=eds-live
Their Teaching Styles. Educational Research and Reviews, 11(16), 1533–1541. Retrieved
from http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1111496&site=eds-live
Wang, L. (2018). On the Content of the Pre-service Teachers’ Teaching Reflection in the
Practicum. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, (9), 1195. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=edsglr&AN=edsgcl.556572180&site=eds-live