My Teaching Philosophy

Education should not only prepare students to succeed academically but should also give students skills that will help them become successful members of society.  Following this ideal, I believe that the principles of empathy, compassion, and high expectations should be rooted in education.  While education and schooling gives students the opportunity to be exposed to these principles, teachers carry the power in delivering these ideals to their students.  Teachers should be the models for these principles through their own example and through the methods practiced in their classroom.                 In my classroom, teaching children how to be compassionate and empathetic people will be viewed as just as important teaching them the core academic subjects.  I believe that compassion and empathy are the core subjects in being a good person.  Many children come to school without any previous knowledge or experience in this area and it is a teacher's responsibility to be model for these students.  Making a conscious effort to understand my students' family life and the kind of problems they bring with them to school will help me be a better teacher to my students.  Teaching children at a young age to be empathetic people will help eradicate the potential damage of ever-present labels in the classroom caused by race, religion, income or academic incompetence.  Teaching children the value of understanding others' feelings will help them make appropriate decisions when it comes to arguments or standing up for their peers.                 Another important quality that I will model in my classroom and expect from my students is compassion.  To me, compassion means showing a sincere concern for others and taking the initiative to do things for others.  I feel that before students can respond to me as a teacher, they need to feel that I truly care about them as people.  Going out of my way to make a student's day easier or offering more of myself  to help a student in a time of need are things that I will expect from myself as a teacher.  I understand that my role as a teacher extends far beyond the walls of the classroom and the school day, and my compassion fuels my energy to meet these needs.                  Moving my teaching philosophy in the direction of academics, I believe that teachers should make all of their students feel capable of learning and succeeding academically.  However, I only feel that this can truly be effective if teachers set high expectations for all of their students and stay consistent with these expectations, no matter what their students' academic levels.  While the expectations for each student may vary according to ability levels, each student should still be held to perform at the top of their capabilities.  Actions speak much louder than words in this example.  You can tell students they can succeed but if you do not demand from them their best work and introduce a strong work ethic then success cannot be attained.  Giving at-risk students lower expectations with the intention of showing sensitivity for their problems at home only defeats the purpose of helping them.  It negatively hurts them because it teaches them that they are not expected to perform at a high level, only further worsening their academic situation.                 As a teacher, if we set high expectations for our students we must also set high expectations for ourselves no matter the type of students or school in which we are teaching.  Like with any other professional job, teachers should be held accountable for their job performance.  Teachers should never settle for mediocrity in their lesson planning, instruction, or their relationships with their students.  Teaching takes energy, creativity ,and motivation.  A teacher with high expectations will not settle for their own personal failure and is constantly changing and open to new ideas that will make their classroom a center of learning and creativity.