Running head: My Teaching philosophy

My Teaching Philosophy
Michelle D. Morgan
College of Southern Idaho
Evin Fox
Early Childhood Education Class 109
Spring Semester 2015-2016

My Teaching philosophy

2
Abstract

Teaching is an important role to have. In order to be a good teacher one must consider
many things. These things should include things such as the child and where they are
developmentally, their backgrounds, the diversity in a classroom, and the different practices that
are available to do a good job.

My Teaching philosophy

3
My Teaching Philosophy

My Reasons for Teaching:

I believe that a teacher needs to consider all her students and insure that they are all
getting the proper amount of education. I believe that every child is important and has something
to give to the world. In order for them to achieve this they need to learn as much as they can
about life and academics. Early childhood education provides a foundation to these things that
will set the child up to succeed. I chose Early childhood education because teaching young
children is very rewarding and allows me to be helpful and make an impact in childrens lives.
Uniqueness of Early Childhood Education (ECE).
There are several things that make Early childhood unique when compared to other levels
of education. For one, the amount of education a teacher needs for ECE is not as much as in
elementary education. An associates degree is all that is needed in order for an ECE teacher to
start teaching in a preschool, whereas elementary teachers are required to get a bachelors
degree. A student studying for ECE is however able to get a bachelors degree if desired. The
types of places an ECE teacher would work are very different from elementary and secondary
teachers also. The latter work in private or public schools, where an ECE teacher works in
daycares, preschools, private and public schools. The most important difference that I see
however, is the styles of teaching. Elementary and secondary teachers focus mainly of the childs
basic skills with the focus on the childs academics and knowledge. With ECE, teachers focus on
the basic skills and academics, but they also set foundational skills for development, social, and
self-awareness, along with mental and physical skills.
Philosophies of ECE Philosophers.

My Teaching philosophy

John Locke believed that children learn from their environment and experiences that they
go through. Maria Montessori believed that education for children should be child centered. This
means providing the children with furniture that fits their size and needs, and a curriculum that is
appropriate for their age and capabilities. Jean Jacques Rousseau believed that children were
innocent and that their education should reflect this. He also believed that observation was
important in order to know how a child develops to better teach them. Rudolf Steiner believed
that imagination and creative play was an important aspect of learning. When these philosophies
are put together they make up the standards we have now for early childhood education.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice.
This approach in education is designed to enhance a childs learning by adapting to their
needs. This would include the childs age, what they have experienced or not experienced, their
background, interests, and development. Goals can be set up for a child to reach and complete
ensuring that they are getting the right education and meeting certain goals to move on and
improve. To insure this practice is being implemented properly, I would ask myself if the
curriculum planned meets each of these aspects. Things that would be included in my curriculum
would be, child involvement such as hands on activities, flexibility in my curriculum where if I
see something is too difficult I would be able to change things to accommodate the child and still
have them learn. I think this is a great practice for teachers because it helps them include all
children and insures they are learning in a way that is centered on them and their needs.
Diversities Roll in ECE.
With having so many people in our country with different cultures and backgrounds, it
creates a huge diversity in a classroom. There are positive and negative aspects to this. I see
some of the negative aspects as a communication problem. If the teacher doesnt speak the same
language it would be hard to communicate with the child or family, and if the child is hard to

My Teaching philosophy

understand then the other children may have a problem communicating with them. The other
thing I see is the childs customs and beliefs may be different and cause it to be harder to know
why they do something that they are not used to. I think a good way of making sure both teacher
and student are comfortable is to learn as much about the childs culture and background as
possible and include things in the classroom that are a part of that childs language or culture.
Some of the positive things that I see happening with diversity is that the child that is from a
different culture learns a new language. Being bilingual in our society today greatly helps the
child be able to communicate to several cultures and helps them socially and with jobs. Also the
other children in the class will be able to learn about a new culture and language gaining more
educational skills and they may even be able to learn the language or parts of it. They will also
be able to learn that being different is a good thing.
Curriculum and play.
Curriculum is intended to be a guide to teach the children in a classroom. It is to help
them with their goals and teach them what they need to know for that age group. Its usually a
written plan that is set by the teacher. It is also based off of models and practices such as the
developmentally appropriate practice. Curriculums are important for children and teachers. They
help a teacher stay on task and help the children with their learning and insures they learn what is
needed. Play is just as important as the curriculum and is usually included in it. Play is set for the
children to have a brain break, but is still designed for the child to learn while playing. They are
able to do role playing and learn social skills by playing. They can also learn motor skills with
play. I think both of these are equally important in an early childhood classroom.