Not A Tertiary Trained Teacher

As teacher’s we are committing to a life time of learning and development of ourselves and our learners.

People’s experiences shape their lives and influence the choices they make, their expectations, and formulate their behavior and mindset. I have always loved to learn! As a child, I was constantly at the library and playing school. I recall being in 5th grade when my teacher handed me the science manual and a box of equipment, and asked me to ‘figure it out’ and recreate it for the class. I couldn’t have been more thrilled!

Students will come to the classroom with a wide variety of life experiences and as the teacher, I will draw from that exposure to determine what direction works best for them to learn, as well as, build on that to promote a greater understanding of the world around them. As with Emerson’s theory, learning and understanding are connected to what they have experienced already along with what will help to develop

As an educator, it is my job to find new ways for my students to learn that coincides with their particular learning style and takes advantage of their strengths. In all practical terms, this will mean finding new ways for each of my students to learn in their own particular way. As a whole, my students will need more reason to learn with authentic experiences, hands-on

Some people might like education, others might dread it and really don’t see a reason to continue learning about it. Today, for teachers and professors it’s easy to them to tell how the education they teach is effective for an individual student. As we know, education is being taught at school, home, and a little of both. For America today, most children attend preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school, and college. Depending on the pupil's career choice, it can take up to 20 or more years completing their schooling system, Usually, during the middle and or high school years in America, professors teach you valid things pupils will be using in life.

When becoming an effective intentional educator, it is very imperative that one sustains a positive educational philosophy. By withholding a great educational philosophy all educators will be able to overcome any and every conflicting issue that may arouse. Jessica SeMink-Cartgew and Penny A. Bishop asserts in their article “Passion is not enough: Preparing middle level preserve teachers to be advocates for change”, anticipating concerns and methods for ensuring that teachers are able to succeed successfully beyond their passion in education.

I am the proud mom of four AMAZING kids, a wife to my supportive and hard-working husband, and a dedicated educator with 19 years of creative, effective, and engaging teaching experiences. I LOVE teaching…from the moment you step into my warm, welcoming, themed classroom, to interacting and guiding every student toward personal success, to sharing in their triumphs and challenges, to fostering the “real-world” connections, and most importantly…fostering a love of learning! I work endless hours planning, researching, preparing, and implementing in order to be creative, effective, engaging, and fun for every student. I pride myself on being able to connect and build strong relationships with all of my students each year. I believe in the importance of knowing each student’s learning style, and truly understanding their personal strengths and weaknesses, as like every adult, each child is unique and learns differently and at their own pace! Further, I believe that ALL kids can LEARN! I teach each of my students the importance of taking ownership, involving

If a teacher is not knowledgeable about what they are doing each and every day then their students are not getting what they deserve. Educators need to know the content they are teaching and how they are going to teach the content inside and out. How is a student expected to learn a concept if their educator is not knowledgeable about the concept themselves? This is why it is so important for educators to continue to learn and grow through professional developments and personal research. As educators we are lifelong learners, since we are in a constantly changing field.

Schools deliver a collective vision of education, so philosophies matter to support this vision. When we ask, “What kind of lifelong learner do we want our students to become?” it yields a different set of answers than asking, “What do we want our students to learn?” While both questions are important, have you ever heard a parent or teacher continue to celebrate a student's ability to spell or know their multiplication tables as they head off to college or to their first job? Not likely. Yes, balanced literacy and mathematical fluency are critical, but when asked what kind of adult do I want our students to be, I focus more on the dispositions of learning and the application of skills and concepts in meaningful ways. In our healthiest classrooms students see themselves as writers, mathematicians, design thinkers, artists, activists and scientists. This begins with our youngest learners, and their experience is critical; so how do we foster inquiry and healthy dispositions of learning?

As educators, we are responsible for enlightening, motivating, engaging and teaching our students. Indeed, this responsibility

My philosophy of teaching is deeply rooted in nurturing the potential each and every student in my classes. Providing a creative environment that allows self assessment, growth, group interaction and mentorship are at its very core. Having taught in Higher Education for many years, and as an instructor of Media Arts and Animation, and Game Design, I have had the amazing opportunity to work with some of the brightest and creative young professionals. Teaching has not only broadened my love of art and exploration, but my determination to help students that do not have the confidence to persevere through their education, yet have the passion to follow their dreams.

Before changing gears completely, I would like to focus some attention on some of my personal philosophies and thoughts on education. First, students need nurturing and reinforcement to learn. Additionally, they need excitement and a range of activities to make learning exciting and enjoyable. Also, they need real applications of their knowledge to convince them to continue their educational

The teaching profession is everchanging and teachers need to keep up with the demands of this extremely important job. Applying new techniques and outlooks that we learn through continued education within the classroom will also teach us more about teaching itself. As Frank Oppenheimer once said, “the best way to learn is to teach”. I feel that this one of the best things that a teacher can do for both themselves and their students. As I have learned a lot from my children, I believe that my future students will teach me much as well. All involved will greatly benefit from our continued education if we apply that education to our daily teaching. As teachers, we should never stop learning. How can we expect our students to learn if we refuse to learn anything new ourselves? Do we not hold the direction of future generations in our hands?

Being a teacher is not an easy task as many people could think. To be a teacher does not only imply to know the subject to be taught, it also includes being willing to constantly improve oneself integrally, as much as updating the resources and materials one uses in teaching. Reflecting and analyzing over and over again the best way to teach to learn and how to make students to extend what has been learned. The many hours spend in the classroom will never be enough to plan lessons, prepare materials, review pupils tasks and exams, as well, all the administrative requirements one has to cover for whatever institution we work. Besides all this a good teacher, a professional one, will have to find the time to keep preparing to improve

“A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, or how much money I had in the bank… but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child.” This quote by Forest Witcraft truly encompasses the reason I want to teach. I hope to have an impact on my future students, and this part of my teaching philosophy can be tied into my practicum experience. As a volunteer in a kindergarten classroom at St. John Elementary I have had the opportunity to learn from teachers and students from a different background than my own. I hope that by taking time to work with these students I am making a difference in their academic success. My teaching philosophy is that education is the means to a successful life, and as a teacher it is my job to not only educate my students, but to build real relationships with them.