Teaching Philosophy.

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”

Malala Yousafzai, I am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

Yousafzai’s quote resonates with the intention of most educators across the globe. A single teacher can be an important influence on their students and can continue to impact students throughout their lives. Teaching shapes growing minds from grades K-12 and beyond. There are very few people that are in positions to impart knowledge on students to build and shape who they become in their future. On paper, a teacher’s job description is to teach a lesson that is taken from the curriculum required from the state. In reality, there are a great number of duties that an educator has to their students that go beyond teaching the required curriculum. Beyond teaching their required curriculum, educators help students learn how to live within society and how to overcome the odds to become the best possible person a student can be. On a day to day basis, a teacher interacts with students of various backgrounds and life experiences who are seated next to another student with their own unique experience and background. A teacher must remain unbiased yet understanding of each student’s circumstances, while at the same time teaching each student the same information and skills. An educator takes on a caregiving role for each of their students, as well as being a safe person for any student to talk to.

A teacher also has the duty of constantly learning themselves.  Each student has a different learning style, which can sometimes make success difficult if a teacher does not understand how to effectively communicate information to a student. Researching, experimenting, and determining the best learning methods for students of various backgrounds and experiences will improve an educator’s ability to teach and their students to prosper. 

In my own K-12 experience as a student, I benefitted from my teachers allowing multiple ways for us to demonstrate our learning. I was one who put a great deal of energy into products and assignments, yet was one of the more quiet students during class discussions. Nevertheless, I still felt like an active participant in those classes. Different learning opportunities are beneficial to have in a lesson and will help to address several learning styles. I believe that having multiple methods will encourage all students to share their knowledge with their teacher in a way they feel comfortable, helping the teacher to know where the student stands on their understanding of the lesson.  My teachers’ attention to how students learn differently and have a safe environment helped me overcome my obstacles as a quiet student, so I know that there is a way for every student to succeed when the right tools are used. 

Throughout the short amount of time that I have been involved in education and interacting with students, I have learned a great deal. Students are constantly giving me new perspectives and ideas to think about. I know that there is still much that I have to learn from my future students and colleagues.  I am excited to keep learning from students as they go on to change and influence the world!