Teaching Philosophy

 

     I believe that each child is an individual who is able to accomplish great things. As a teacher it is my opportunity to guide them towards their goals and to help them reach beyond what they believe is capable. To get children striving to become exceptional you must first get to know them. I want to know my students beyond their names. I want to know their goals for the future and I want to know what motivates and inspires them.  Students will work harder for the individual whom they know to genuinely care for their well being.  Caring cannot be faked.  In my classroom I want the students to know that I want what is best for them even if it means making hard choices.

   Making students successful in the future is a key to my philosophy.  Social Studies are imperative to developing humane and well rounded individuals. I am realistic enough to know that many students will think otherwise. That is why when teaching I hope to communicate my own enthusiasm for these subjects and hopefully inspire the students to see beyond the material.  I can achieve this through a strong knowledge of my content. I also believe that a key to engaging students is to keep the material relevant to their lives. What use is memorizing material that will only be soon forgotten? I want the students to gain knowledge that not only helps them in the now but will be with them for the rest of their lives.  William Butler Yeats said, “Teaching is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”   I want the students to enter my classroom ready to learn to explore new horizons and feel like learning can be an exciting adventure. Education can be an adventure and as a lifelong learner I am open to the obstacles that will present themselves. Change is a good thing and  it is my responsibility to use my skills to become the best teacher that I can become. I want to learn through all opportunities how to better my skills because I expect no less from myself. I will also expect my students to strive for excellence.  The quote below expresses how I feel about student and human potential.

Quote

    “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson