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Philosophy of Education
Reasons and rationale for becoming a teacher
As a freshman in high school, I decided I would become a high school English teacher and
basketball coach; but after two education courses during my first two years in college I
changed my mind. Instead, I earned a degree in Business Administration and hit the ground
running as a 2004 graduate of Salem College. After several years of competitive corporate
progress, the new wore off and I realized how unfulfilling my career path had become.
During that time, I had the opportunity to volunteer with my husband and his Rotary Club at
Kimberley Park Elementary School. I let my manager know I would be away for more than
the usual hour-long lunch and headed to the school. My husband and I were asked to lead the
holiday party in one of the Pre-Kindergarten classrooms. Together we donned our elf hats
and entered the unknown, activities and snacks in tow. I walked away with a new sense of
self and clear direction as to where my life was headed. I looked at my husband and said,
This is where I am supposed to be.
Providing students with a quality education and guiding them to assume responsibility for
their own performance prepares them to pursue and achieve their dreams. I believe students
who are intrinsically motivated to acquire knowledge will be successful. I am particularly
passionate about closing the achievement gap for low income and minority students. I want
every child to realize, as William Ernest Henley wrote, It matters not how strait the gate,
how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my
soul.
How students learn
Effective student engagement occurs in learning environments that are safe and collaborative,
embrace diversity and affirm student worth. Student self-efficacy is enhanced through
successful academic experiences. Academic achievement empowers students to take risks
and responsibility for their own learning.
As Vygotsky identified in his sociocultural perspective, learning is an active and social
endeavor whereby students construct knowledge through authentic experiences. In the
classroom, children are eager to understand the world and are reliant upon educators to
establish, monitor, and facilitate learning experiences that engage their minds, stimulate
curiosity, and inspire exploration. According to Vygotsky, learning occurs in the zone of
proximal development, the area between what a child is capable of achieving independently
and what he/she can achieve with the support of an adult or more knowledgeable peer.
Therefore, educators must design and deliver instruction according to what students know
and are prepared to learn. Students should be challenged with rigorous instruction that
motivates them to explore and achieve.
Influential educational theories/theorists
The most influential theorists in my philosophy of education are the aforementioned
Vygotsky and Gardner. Gardners theory of multiple intelligences challenges educators to
explore a variety of avenues for teaching. Designing relevant experiences and learning
activities for students to explore in the classroom is a fundamental component of
constructivism. There is no one size fits all approach. Experiences that engage and facilitate
knowledge construction for one child may be irrelevant or undesirable to another. Therefore,
educators must consider the unique context and intelligences of each student when crafting

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instructional design. To be successful, instructional strategies and learning activities must
engage every child, facilitate learning, and promote achievement for all students. A variety of
teaching methods must be incorporated and delivered to individualize instruction to the needs
of each learner.
Roles of the teacher, the student, the family, and the community in education
To promote student achievement and ensure academic success, the teacher, the student, the
family, and the community must work together as a collaborative unit. Together, the unit
should establish educational goals and action plans to achieve them. The teacher should serve
as the educational guide and unit liaison to keep all parties informed of student progress. The
student should be taught to take ownership of his/her learning and held accountable for
behavior, effort, and performance. The family should serve as support outside the classroom,
encouraging, motivating, and contributing to student achievement. The community should
serve as a resource to the teacher, the student, and the family. Community partnerships are
vital to ensuring schools receive resources fundamental to effective instruction, students
receive mentoring and tutoring from caring and concerned members of the community, and
families receive the support they need to meet the basic needs of their children. The unit must
deliberately cultivate individual growth and academic achievement to ensure each student
learns how to become a productive and valuable member of the community.
Teaching strategies
Ensuring the success of every student is undoubtedly a challenge as each classroom is home
to diverse and unique learners. At the helm of each classroom is one educator responsible for
teaching new concepts and ideas to developing minds from varied backgrounds whose
experiences and contexts for learning differ significantly. The challenge is even greater due
to the fact children learn though many styles of instruction and often at drastically different
rates. Educators must understand student cultures, experiences, intelligences and learning
styles in order to design and implement a variety of successful teaching strategies.
Successful educators know their students and involve them in planning purposeful and
authentic activities. Students should be offered the opportunity to learn through experiencing
nature, exploring and creating art, physically manipulating objects, and searching for
meaning alongside peers. Educators should design instruction and learning activities to foster
critical and creative thinking skills. Classroom experiences should encourage independent
exploration as well as collaborative work with partners, small and large groups.
In the 21st century, technology should be a resource and platform for instruction, exploration,
and presentation in the classroom. Students interact with technology outside the classroom
and their 21st century skills should be leveraged in the classroom. Media literacy is a
fundamental competency of life in the 21st century. Educators have a responsibility to ensure
students hone technological skills and achieve proficiency in understanding, interpreting, and
independently generating media messages.
Curriculum content
In North Carolina, the Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) outlines the goals and objectives
to be addressed at each grade level. Students are expected to be proficient as demonstrated by
their performance on standardized tests. Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social
Studies, and Healthful Living are the responsibility of the classroom teacher. Instruction and
learning activities should be designed to maximize content integration. Content integration

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broadens concept relevance and strengthens knowledge acquisition. Whenever possible,
educators should leverage school, family and community resources to identify and enhance
the connections that exist between students and curriculum content.
Although pacing guides are designed to support educators in delivering content, assessment
must always guide instruction. When students do not master curriculum content, educators
must reteach challenging concepts in new and different ways to ensure every student
achieves proficiency.
Conclusion
WilliamArthurWardstated,Themediocreteachertells.Thegoodteacherexplains.
Thesuperiorteacherdemonstrates.Thegreatteacherinspires.Ibelievestudentsare
inspiredwhentheirworthisaffirmed,whentheyareencouragedandchallengedto
learn,whentheyexperiencesuccessandassumeresponsibilityfortheirachievement.
Effectiveeducationembracesdiversityandvaluesmultipleintelligences.Educatorswho
utilizeavarietyofinstructionalstrategiesandlearningactivitiesinspirestudentsto
learn.Studentswhoareinspiredtolearnachievegreatthings.