Emily Walker

Teaching Philosophy

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The focus of my teaching philosophy is that all children can learn; however, children learn differently from one another.  As an educator, I am to discover how each child learns best and adapt my teaching to the needs of diverse students. I will differentiate my instruction by merging a variety of teaching methods such as interactive assignments, verbal explanations, class discussion, demonstrations, and group work. For students to construct knowledge, they should be given the opportunity to discover for themselves and apply their abilities in authentic, real-world situations. Education is important for not only providing students with knowledge, but it is also important for teaching children numerous life skills. My teaching philosophy is from a constructivist point of view, meaning that new information is linked to prior knowledge and forms meaning based on experience. 

 

I plan on making education more effective by working with the students to provide guidance, rather than directly telling the class what to do. Facilitating instead of dominating the learning process allows the children to grow within themselves. Students learn from their peers and gain knowledge by experience. For me to know how to direct the students, I must be aware of each student’s zone of proximal development. The ZPD is the distance between the development level defined by independent problem solving and the level through problem solving under guidance or in collaboration. As a teacher, I am building onto the student’s prior knowledge; therefore, I must know what I am building off and how to adapt the lesson plans to increase student success rates.

 

To individualize the learning experience and motivate students, I believe it is beneficial to create lessons related to student interests. By doing this, I am offering an opportunity to study topics that are meaningful and relevant. I will integrate problem-based and active learning in my classroom to encourage student engagement. PBL enables skill development while learning about a subject through the experience of solving open-ended problems. Students will be able to contribute knowledge by bringing past experiences into their learning experience. Active learning includes, but is not limited to, group discussions, presentations, demonstrations, etc. This is how I would provide my students with a more engaging environment and include modelling and mediational tools. Offering students access to hands-on activities that reinforce the lesson provides opportunity for personal discovery and construction of knowledge to occur.

 

Children must have a sense of belonging to learn best. I view an open classroom as a place where each student is welcomed and respected as their own. It is my hope as an educator to help students reach their maximum potential by providing a place of learning that is safe, promotes positive peer relationships, and invites a sharing of ideas. Children need to know they are free to be themselves. I will provide the students with welcoming classroom discussion that accommodates various ability levels. When students have ownership in the curriculum, they are motivated to work hard and master the skills necessary.