Philosophy of Education

Education can change the future of individuals, communities, and our world.
Education is a powerful tool capable of unlocking an individual’s full potential. Education is
knowledge and knowledge is power in today’s competitive world. Every child has the right to a
high-quality education. Students’ lives are forever changed if they get an education. They have
the opportunities for better jobs, higher salaries, greater benefits, and more resources to care
for their families. Education matters in society because poverty is still a prominent battle to be
faced and education is the only way to fight it.
I chose mathematics because, even when I was in school, I could see the emergent
decline of proficiency in my math classes. Smarter students advanced but the majority of
standard students declined. I knew this growing gap would be detrimental to our society, so I
decided to be a part of the solution. I believe math educators need to reevaluate the way they
are teaching. Since the learning gap has increased, teachers need to work harder to not only
teach their standards but also reteach previous standards that students are not yet proficient
in. The more we can do to help students rediscover a love of math, the better. Mathematics is
never going away and is used almost every day in basic tasks. There is a growing number of jobs
that require the application of math or basic math skills at the very least. Proficiency in math is
crucial to the future of our society. My goals of being a math educator include helping students
rediscover a love of math, making math easy to understand, and empowering students to
pursue their dreams.
To teach mathematics, I will use a variety of methods, strategies, and applications to
attain the learning goals. I will use accommodation and modifications for students with
exceptionalities, including but not limited to students with learning disabilities, math
deficiencies, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), 504 plans, and students classified as gifted. I
will also use differentiation in my teaching and forms of assessment to best serve all students. I
think peer work is a great method to be used in the math classroom. Whether students are
placed in pairs, small groups, or allowed to work as a class, I think it is beneficial for students to
collaborate and problem solve together. Plus, all students benefit. Another strategy I will use is
real-world problem solving. This strategy answers the teachers most asked questions “Why is
this important?” and “When will I ever use this?” Real-world application problems tap into
higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy and help students find significance in the material being
taught.
My role in society as a teacher is to teach and mold future generations. My job is to help
students learn math and discover who they want to be. I will interact with parents in a
respectful and collaborative manner. They know and love their student as much or more than I
do and we both want what is best for the student. I will interact with the community in the
same way, with respect and collaboration. I hope to have the support of my community and to
find a way for students to have a positive impact in their community.