PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING

Part of the requirements for working on my masters degree is to write my philosophy of teaching.  This process really made me think about my teaching and gave me an opportunity to put words to my thoughts!

PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING

I believe educators must be held to the highest of professional and ethical standards. One organization that lays the foundation for such accountability is the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The NBPTS grants national certification to those teachers who have exhibited outstanding ability as an educator based on five core propositions. Because I believe so strongly in teacher accountability, I have incorporated the five core propositions in my philosophy of teaching.

I believe that every student is a person of value with a capacity for learning. I believe it is my responsibility as an educator to establish an environment conducive to learning, provide active and engaging opportunities for learning that are based on the learning styles and abilities of my students, and instill a desire for lifelong learning.   I must be committed to making decisions about instruction that will have a positive impact on the learning of my students. Each day I must convey to my students that I genuinely care for them as individuals, for their well-being, and for their right to the best educational experiences possible. Commitment to my students is related to core proposition one of the NBPTS.

I believe teachers must have a well defined knowledge of the subject matter(s) they teach. I believe teachers have the responsibility for refining and increasing this knowledge base. As a teacher, I must plan instruction that is aligned with the appropriate standards.   It is important that I explore and utilize research based instructional models and methods of assessment. Knowing my subject and knowing how to provide effective instruction of the subject is related to core proposition two of the NBPTS.

I believe that a key component of good instruction is ongoing assessment and review of student learning for its effectiveness. I must be willing to use a variety of assessment methods, both formative and summative. Analysis of assessment data must be done in order to identify strengths and weaknesses of student learning and plan for appropriate instruction. I believe that student feedback is a crucial element of assessment methods. Assessing, reviewing, and monitoring student learning is related to proposition three of the NBPTS.

I believe that being an effective teacher means I may have to step out of my comfort zone and be willing to try new strategies and methods of instruction. In order to do this, I must invest the time to read and research the current trends and issues in education. I believe that effective teachers are students themselves – questioning, experimenting, creating, doing things in a different way. I believe that if I am to be an effective teacher I must take a critical look at my classroom practices, searching for ways to improve student learning.   Examining my teaching practices and improving through my experiences is related to core proposition four of the NBPTS.

I believe that effective teachers are leaders in the various learning communities of which they are members. As leaders, these teachers collaborate with others in the development and implementation of instructional policies, curriculum, and valuable staff development.    I believe effective teachers have the ability to evaluate and analyze the progress of school achievement. I believe that teachers must be willing to collaborate with fellow teachers, administration, parents, and community leaders in an effort to engage all members of the learning communities in the work of the school. Being a member of learning communities is related to core proposition five of the NBPTS.

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