I believe learning should be in a positive and cohesive environment. When I think about education and being a successful student, I think about a classroom filled with students and teacher supporting one another. My teaching philosophy strongly represents the book Tribes. This book discusses community building and activities that lead to an environment where students will feel comfortable and safe within the classroom. Having a safe environment, will promote successful learning where students will be able to express their ideas which can lead to meaningful discussions. This type of environment promotes a student centered classroom which I tend to teach in. This type of classroom works best with students trusting each other and respecting one another’s ideas and opinions. Students will learn best by exploring and finding conclusions through the help of peers and scaffolding by the teacher. I strongly believe in collaboration and talk within the classroom. A student centered class should be 75% of the students discussing and 25% of the teacher talking. As a teacher I will be guiding the discussions and learning from what the students have to say. This will allow the students to know that they will each bring something useful and important in to the classroom. They all have unique backgrounds and can all learn from one another.

            I also feel that class meetings are beneficial for students in the classroom. Class meetings promote students to problem solve as a class. This is a useful strategy that students will learn and is important in everyday life. Students will be able to write down issues that may be going on in the classroom and the class will be able to find strategies to solve the problem. By modeling problem solving, hopefully towards the end of the year the students do not even have to write their problems in an agenda because they have learned to handle the situations on their own. Class meetings are also useful for sincere compliments. Students can express specific situations that had meaning to them such as “I would like to compliment Sarah for helping me with my math yesterday”. Students will understand the importance of respect and positive feedback through these activities. Again, this is a form of community building that will lead to a successful learning environment.

            My philosophy of education is very important to me. By building a cohesive community, I feel very confident that the students will have success in learning. The community should not only take place within the classroom, but outside as well. I believe that it is vital to get family involved in their students’ lives. I would love to be able to keep a journal with parents to give them an idea of what is going on in the classroom or to find out if they have any concerns or suggestions. This will break a barrier of parents feeling weary of their child’s teacher. Many parents do not know what is expected of them and do not want to pry; however, by creating a form of communication with the parents, can allow greater success for the students.

            A cohesive community can lead to many successes. By having the families involved and the students feeling confident and respected in their own environment, the sky is the limit. I believe that this environment will steer away from the teacher centered and authoritarian figure. I want a classroom that challenges other’s ideas and uses expressive language. Language is vital in the classroom and many classrooms are silent while the teacher is speaking. I want to make a change and focus on speaking in the classroom which will only benefit one another and especially second language learners.

            My teaching philosophy is strongly influenced by community and respect. All students should feel safe and accepted in the classroom. They should feel important and know that their ideas are considered a powerful tool of learning. I plan to implement this in to my teaching and use community building throughout the curriculum.