My Educational Philosophy {My ism}
I believe that there are many things that make a good teacher. Some of those things are a good work ethic, a personable spirit, and a willingness to learn. I have those traits, and while I am not perfect on them, I am continuing to develop them the best I can. One of the most important things any educator needs to have is some form of concrete philosophy that they base their actions upon. Here is mine.
My main philosophy of teaching is very simple. Every student deserves the best that there is to offer. Along with that, I believe that it is important for every teacher to be adequately prepared to set up the students for success in the future. When a student is given the tools they need to get past any obstacle, that is when a teacher has fully completed their job for that student. This is done through many different ways, but the most important way is by teaching the student how to have the confidence and self drive they need in themselves so that they can do anything. This comes from a personal mantra being, “Don’t say you can, say you will.” I use this to push myself to greater heights, and I plan on using this to help influence many students for the better.
I choose to be a teacher for many different reasons. If you asked one of my friends they would jokingly say “It’s because he hates stupid adults!” While I definitely joked about that a while ago, I have three main reasons why. I want to help students get the help they need early on, I do want to prevent uneducated adults, and I love helping students apply the skills that they learn. Each of these reasons come from a personal experience that shaped my perception of the world. While I was a young student (K-5), I received special assistance to help me get and stay on track. While I can only assume it was effective since I am where I am today. The extra assistance really helped me get on track and it helped me develop certain skills that I needed. For the second reason, while it may sound like a joke, I am quite serious about it. The amount of adults that I have met that struggle to do the most basic things. I want to do my best to prevent that. Lastly, I love watching people apply the skills that they learn. Watching someone finally have that lightbulb moment is something that I live for. One other thing that I feel like it is important to mention, is that I am a huge fan of the E.D.G.E. method of teaching. That meaning Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable. It is something that I have been applying ever since my time as a boy scout.
I do these things by utilizing different aspects of Essentialism, Progressivism, and Behaviorism. I firmly believe that these common philosophies are important to my base as an educator. I believe that these three, along with aspects from others, are a core foundation of my style. Essentialism for the core of things to build a solid foundation. Progressivism for its hands on learning and varied activities that can broaden a student’s horizons. Lastly behaviorism for the solid reinforcements of students actions.
Overall I truly believe that every student truly deserves the best and that through hard work and dedication, anyone can reach the top with a little bit of help from the right places