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Jennifer wirges

02 November 2018

ETEC 424

Dr. Robert R Wolfe

Educational Philosophy statement

“There is no teaching until the pupil is brought into the same state or principle in which

you are, a transfusion takes place; he is you and you are he; there is a teaching; and by no

unfriendly chance or bad company can he ever quite lose the benefits” (Emerson). This quote

embodies how teaching will lead to growth in the future. Patience is a large part in helping

educators grow student’s knowledge. I want to create a different feeling of school. Many people

see school as a requirement instead of a want. I want everyone to want to learn. To do that as a

teacher I will create a positive energy daily and have students actively engage in the classroom.

Interactive lectures, projects, and game activities for example. Creativity will lead to

understanding and understanding to efficiency in the future.

First and foremost, why do educators want to become an educator? What gets them out of

bed in the morning? When we hear someone say they are wanting to be an educator or already

are; we say, “God bless your soul”. Why? They chose it for a reason and some days it’s going to

be tough, but they push through. There are many reasons to teach. Here are a few as to why I,

personally, teach. I started teaching in high school and at first it was for authority but then I

found that pride in the student’s achievement. Then it was for joy of that pride. When I finished

school, I continued teaching. I became joyful at first and then nervous, and now I am gaining

control of the idea and rolling with the punches on a daily. I found myself surprising myself with

patience. When I think about teaching, the song A Spoon Full of Sugar comes to mind. Make it a
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game and the students won’t even realize what the just accomplished. That’s their brain working

and their face lights up with that pride.

Teaching isn’t always for the outcome at the end of the road, but the road to get there.

The students take over what they have learned from you and run with it and sometimes you have

to slow them down and say, “wait don’t forget your friends behind you”. You see students grow

into leaders in their own world. That is the true point od teaching. It’s not all about what the

learn or how they learn it. It’s what they do with what they are given and how they want to

portray it. It is the reward of knowing that I have made someone’s life better that helps me get

out of bed every day.

Students need to see that learning can be fun, but it is still hard work. The seven

principles of education are a great standard to follow by and to retain. I strongly believe in

Active learning as well as positive feedback. A skill learned, is that when you give constructive

criticism to also give a positive not before or after the criticism. Time has become an opposing

issue and I strongly believe it is a character builder for students in early adulthood. I want

students to collaborate with me when they are having issues or feel they are not quite

understanding something. Communication is key in life. To learn a skill or grow a person must

first hear, see, understand, retain, and be able to explain or preform the skillset. Say a student

learned how to multiply two times seven they would then hear the words, see it on a

screen/board, process and understand, hold on to the idea, and later come back and explain why

two times seven is fourteen. That’s how we are able to evaluate if the student needs further help

or can move on.

A creative and collaborative environment must be fostered for students to express their

passions and explore their interest. Which would in turn produce students who are willing to
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learn and able to discover more about themselves as an individual – something that seems to be

lacking in the classrooms of today. A classroom that promotes and rewards expression will lead

to less behavioral issues while simultaneously allowing students to take control of their

education and add their own flare to assignments. This technique demonstrates how a student can

control their own education more so than the teacher. When I was taught how to write in my

English class I took to a more hands on approach. I understood how to write better once I was

able to formulate the thoughts myself rather than reading someone else’s essay. Not only will

they partake in activities, but I will instill motivation in them that boost their confidence in

learning. Whether a student wants to learn is up to them, but what if we have a student who

completely refuses to learn? We must approach the situation with a different mindset. We would

not get mad and say, ‘well guess you’re just going to sit here’. No! We would need to say okay I

have to find a way to get them to where I need them. For example, creating an environment that

allows peers to interact with them and gravitas them to learning. Or creating a game based on

what them really want to do. For instance, I had a student who wanted to play ball instead of

doing his work, so I compromised. We would play ball while working o their math skills. These

are only a few ways to work with students who are struggling to want to learn.

Furthermore, not only will I focus on the students’ needs but how I, as a teacher should

portray them to each and every student. To reach various cultures, students will be placed in

groups that are different according to the assignments given. They will learn to handle different

styles of learning, discuss among themselves about their feelings on the subject, and create new

friendships that diversify their lives. I will incorporate written test as well that will be discussed

with the class after grading to help them better understand why they missed to the answer and
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determine how to prevent missing it again. I like to put students in active learning situations and

grade them on performance with others, creativity, and an overall basis of the assignment.

With Inclusion and responsibility that will be given to the students, they will become

model citizens. My goal for my classroom is for students to understand the classes subject and

achieve a higher understanding of responsibility and their own standard as a person. At the end

of the course the students will want to learn more and become active in society. I will expose

cultures and ideas in new ways.