Teaching Philosophy

Kasey Sliva

EDU 312

Philosophy Paper

As a college student, it is difficult to know exactly what my future entails. I do, however, have an idea of what my future teaching philosophy will be. My teaching philosophy paper includes the objectives I want to accomplish as a teacher, the philosophies I plan to use to accomplish these objectives, and why teaching and meeting these objectives is important to me.

My main objective as a teacher is to help my students learn and grow while fostering their own creativity and curiosity. I want to give students the motivation to learn, open up their minds to new ideas, and let them explore these ideas on their own. I want to help my students learn by teaching them traditional curriculum in a non-traditional, more hands on way.

I feel that each teaching philosophy has its good aspects and intertwining all philosophies will be most beneficial for my students and for my classroom. However, I feel that using a mixture of the Progressivism, Social Reconstructionism, and Essentialism philosophies will be the most balanced approach to use in my classroom. One may ask how it is possible to use Essentialism with Progressivism and Social Reconstrutionism, but I believe a few of the main points of Essentialism are crucial to creating a balanced classroom.

A classroom should be filled with hands-on, social activities. I believe a classroom like this will foster a child’s ability to be creative, self motivated, and to learn social skills that are essential in the real world. I do, however, believe that it is necessary for students to learn the basics of education. If the basics of education (such as the “3 R’s” and traditional literature) are taught in a way that integrates the strategies of Progressivism and Social Reconstrucionism students will be more likely to make a connection with what they learned. If students remember and make a connection with what they learn they will be more able to apply it and use it in real life situations.

It is my belief that the classroom should be taught around the student, not the teacher. Inquiring students should be answered and their questions explored. Teachers can begin by teaching the necessary information and can let students minds expand in other directions. Students will be more passionate about topics they enjoy; therefore student’s perspectives and interests in the topic should be one of the top priorities in a classroom.

Teaching my students in the way I believe is the most beneficial for them is very important to me. I believe there is a set of curriculum that all students have to learn, but there should also be flexibility in what is being taught. In my mind, the bottom line is it is important for students to learn and grow. If it means I need to change the way I teach every year and work very hard at it, then that is what I will do. I feel it is necessary for teachers to not get caught in a rut. Teachers need to try new things and explore new possibilities.

My teaching philosophy paper has included the objectives I want to accomplish as a teacher, the philosophies I plan to use to accomplish these objectives, and why teaching and meeting these objectives is important to me. I believe that by using a combination of teaching philosophies and being open to the possibility of my teaching philosophy changing I will be creating the most effective classroom for my students.

Send e-mail to Kasey Sliva

Last Updated: 12.09.06