teaching_phil._podcast.aup | |
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Mrs. Powell's Philosophy of Education
Over five years ago, I wrote my first philosophy of education and my mission statement as a future educator. Now, at the end of the year 2011, I have re-read those statements, and still hold steadfast and strong to the words that I once promised to myself, my future employers, and my students. I am incredibly pleased that my ―one day I will...‖ statements have come true, and my career has fulfilled my greatest expectations. As a perpetual learner, an educator, a wife, mother, and determined individual, I am fine tuning my philosophy to meet the high standards I have achieved and believe in, now that I have settled into my career. I believe this statement will continue to be fine tuned as the years go on, since I will never stop growing in my personal and professional lives.
Why do I teach? It’s a deep question that I have put a great amount of time and thought into. I teach for several reasons: it’s a childhood dream, first and foremost. I’ve been inspired by some wonderful teachers that have touched my life along the way – and it’s my way of returning the favor. I also have a love of learning and questioning the world around me, and I am always meeting new people that are teaching me something new and wonderful! These days, I learn a lot from my own children and students! I believe that educating our youth is a most noble profession. Teachers are extremely hard workers that go the extra mile, or two, or three in order to make a difference in the life of a child. Teachers have the power to positively change another person’s life by introducing them to new experiences, and connecting the classroom to real world application.
I enjoy and embrace each opportunity I have to share my love of learning with my students—to connect, to inspire, to believe in them, and to watch them shine!
As an educator, I believe it is important to model good moral and character traits that I believe are important for people to have. I celebrate the whole child – academics are only one aspect of a child’s life; I nurture and prepare my students to achieve in all areas of life.
Furthermore, I believe that each child deserves quality instruction, and a teacher that holds high expectations for every student. I utilize my ability to be patient in the process of reaching those expectations. I strive to provide an environment that is rich in meaningful and relevant material and experiences. My classroom is a warm, caring, creative, and challenging place of learning for each individual child. Instruction is differentiated to meet the needs of children at various levels of learning and developmental stages.
I feel passionately about home/school communication. I ensure that there is an open line of communication between home and school, and encourage families to actively participate in their child’s education. My classroom presents a variety of ways for parents to stay involved from both home and at school.
As a professional and lifelong learner, I will continue to grow in my career through professional development, higher education, observing my co-workers in the field, and a great deal of continuous and honest self reflection. I believe a great deal of professional growth comes from taking the ―best of the best‖ ideas, research, practices, etc. that one can find. I believe a teacher should never become so comfortable or confident in his/her classroom that the door closes at the beginning and end of each day, with no exploration of other teachers’ styles, techniques, bag of tricks, or feedback. I believe in an open door policy to all parents, administrators, and co-workers.
Above all, it is my philosophy of education that an educator should never lose sight of their love for the job. It’s a great honor to be trusted to educate other people’s children, and our deep-rooted passion is what will get us through the toughest of times and critics. With a caring and respectful environment, I believe all students will rise to my expectations and work toward becoming responsible and productive citizens---a common goal and hope among all educators for each student.
Where am I now?
I currently teach preschool for the Great Start Readiness Program at a fantastic elementary school in my hometown! I am blessed with up to 32 students and families whom I get the honor of working with each year. I also have an amazing associate teacher. Life is good!