Teaching Philosophy 1

Teaching Philosophy
Isabella Szczur
Regent University
Teaching Philosophy 2

Early on in my life I was certain I wanted to be a teacher. The decision to follow this

career path was something I never questioned. I knew it would not be an easy journey, but I was

determined nonetheless. After four years of college experience this desire to teach still holds

true. The knowledge I have gained from my studies and practical application have helped me

grow into the person I am today, and influenced the type of teacher I want to become. It is my

goal as a teacher to try and guide these students to become more informed individuals, capable of

making decisions and understanding their impact on the world.

Christian Mindset

As a secondary education major, the focus of many college classes have been split

between the topics of government, history and education courses. All of these were designed to

help improve my knowledge and understanding of the material I would be applying and teaching

to my future students. In order to prepare for the future, it is important to examine the past to

learn from what went wrong and what went right. Ecclesiastes 1:9 states “What has been is what

will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

Although there may be nothing new, this does not mean we should not try to improve. It is a

natural part of human nature to want to improve and make things better, we strive for a purpose

but often are unsure what it is.

As a Christian, one can see how we strive to be Christ like in our actions and desires as

we try to make the world around us better according to the word of God. There is nothing wrong

with this desire, but we must stop and examine the factors which influence us. I have often had to

stop and evaluate the reasons for which I am seeking this knowledge and why it is so important

to me to teach it to others. Upon reflection I find that the answer seems relatively simple, I wish

to educate others and through giving them this knowledge, reflect my understanding of God’s
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impact in our lives. In teaching knowledge of history and government I am able to have a deeper

appreciation and knowledge of God.

Evolution of Beliefs

Since the beginning of my education experience my beliefs about education have not

drastically changed. I still believe that a vital part of any healthy classroom involves developing

relationships between the students and teacher. A major part of that includes rules and an

understanding of what is or is not acceptable. When those rules are firmly in place and enforced,

then the teacher is able to have the respect of the students and in return give them respect. These

give students guidelines not just for appropriate classroom behavior, but also for what is

acceptable in different situations.

I will never forget a conversation I had with two of my students in which they informed

me the most important thing a teacher could do would be to enforce the rules they create.

Without this the students are left with contradictory behavior and less accountability between

themselves and their teacher. I knew going in to teaching that classroom management would be

something difficult to achieve immediately. Not everyone has the special skill to have kids

perfectly behaved all the time. As such I need to be prepared for when challenges arise and I

have to deal with tough situations. Even though it might be tough in the moment, I know I will

be a stronger teacher for it and gain experience through what happens in my classroom.

Additionally, while having a lesson structure is important for both the teacher and the

students, it is alright for things not to go according to plan. Very rarely have I had experiences

where I followed my lesson plan exactly to the letter without any adjustments or changes. These

could be as simple as taking more time for student questions or even changing the way a certain
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class is taught. What might work well for one group of kids might not for another group. As such

it is important to be prepared and flexible in these situations.

Goals

It is vital for educators to remember that relationships are more than just rules and

students are more than just empty bodies who sit in a desk. Teaching is hard and if that means

working with the students even when the going gets tough, I am willing to be there for them. I

want to be a teacher who cares for her students and tries her hardest to work with them or give

them a chance to improve. A practical example I can think of would be me staying after school

and providing opportunities for additional help. I also want my students to grow as people in my

classroom, to take what they learn and apply it. I expect them to learn and grow from their

mistakes. They will be able to take the knowledge they have gained and use it to see their worlds

in a different light. I can help accomplish this by giving them opportunities to share their opinion

and provide a place for them to hear the thoughts of others. Through these goals it is my hope

that the students will leave my classroom as more educated individuals than when they first

arrived.