Abstract

My beliefs as a teacher are very strong. At the end of the year, I want my students
to think of themselves as problem solvers, scientists, writers, and artists. My goal
for them is that they know how to problem solve, whether its when they struggle
with academic work, or in a social situation. I believe it is part of my job to teach
students how to problem solve. Many students come into school not knowing how to
be a scientist. I need to teach them how to think like a scientist. This includes asking
questions, as well as thinking through each question and trying to find answers on
their own. If students learn that when they ask a question I will just answer right
away, they will never learn how to research or experiment with their own questions.
If you ask a student if they are a writer or an author, most will say no. If you ask
them if they know how to write, theyll say yes. My goal is to teach students the
importance of writing every day, and show them that no matter what they write, as
long as theyre writing, theyre writers. I also want my students to believe in
themselves as artist. Art integration is very important in the classroom, because its
a sure-fire way to teach to every learning style. This can be through drawing,
painting, coloring, sculpting, photography, dancing, movement, singing, playing
instruments, or even acting. Every student has some form of art they enjoy or are
good at. My job is to help them find that art, and show them how to use it to help
them learn. I also have goals for myself as a teacher. My number one goal
throughout the year is to learn just as much as I am teaching. Children can teach
adults so much about creativity, openness, and innocence, if we just listen.
 Philosophy Paper

My beliefs as a teacher are very strong. I have goals for myself each year, as

well as for my students. State mandated goals are very important, but there are

some skills that students should have that they cant get out of purely academic

teaching. At the end of the year, above all else, I want my students to think of

themselves as problem solvers, scientists, writers, and artists. At the end of the

year, I want to look at myself, and be able to say that I have learned as much as I

have taught, and I have grown as a teacher just as much as my students have

grown as learners.

One of my goals for my students is that they know how to problem solve,

whether its when they struggle with academic work, or in a social situation. I

believe it is part of my job to teach students how to problem solve. Academically,

students need to have a toolbox full of strategies that will assist them in working

through problems and questions by which they are stumped. There are a number of

ways to help them problem solve on their own, and the biggest way to do that is to

show students new strategies each time they are stumped, so they have a toolbox

they can use even when a teacher isnt there to help. Socially, there are thousands

of lists of problem solving strategies. The best way to help students problem solve is

to put posters up in the classroom and refer to them often. When students get into

arguments with their peers, it is best to guide them in solving it themselves, rather

than just handing them a solution. Some strategies include asking their peers to

stop, talking it out, or walking away. In my experience, when kids argue over a

particular toy, or a structure on the playground, they can be easily guided to

figuring out their own solution. I normally ask each student to explain their side of
the story, and then ask them what they think they can do to solve the problem.

Most of the time students come up with taking turns all on their own. Problem

solving helps them in their social lives, as well as all academic areas. Problem

solving is a really big part of math, as well as science.

Many students come into school not knowing how to be a scientist. I need to

teach them how to think like a scientist. This includes asking questions, as well as

thinking through each question and trying to find answers on their own. If students

learn that when they ask a question I will just answer right away, they will never

learn how to research or experiment with their own questions. For example, if a

student asks a question such as, what makes rainbows appear? I could just

answer, when it rains and the sun comes out after, the sunlight reflects off of the

water and makes a rainbow. The student would then know the answer, but they

wouldnt know how to find that answer, and it would probably be forgotten fairly

quickly. However, if I respond with, Thats a really good question. What do you

think?, they can start with creating a hypothesis, and we can experiment with

water and light and whatever else the students think are necessary until the

students have completed the scientific process and discovered the answer to their

question on their own. This not only gives them a better understanding of the

concept, but also helps them learn how to be a scientist. At the end of each

experiment, or throughout the experiment, students should write down their

observations and discoveries. Writing is also a very important part of the

curriculum, and it often gets overlooked.

If you ask a student if they are a writer or an author, most will say no. If you

ask them if they know how to write, theyll say yes. My goal is to teach students the

importance of writing every day, and show them that no matter what they write, as
long as theyre writing, theyre writers. I will have a Writers Notebook that I write in

every day, and I will give my students their own as well. We will use it to write down

things that are distracting us, or exciting things that happened. We will use it to

learn writing strategies, like what to do when youre not sure what to write.

Everyday, for at least ten minutes, my students and I will write in our notebooks. I

will provide prompts some days, but students will not be required to write based on

the prompt. After writing, students will be invited to sit in the authors chair and

share. After they share, students will have sticky notes at their desks to write

questions for the author. The author will walk around and quickly collect sticky

notes. The questions on these sticky notes should provide ways that the author can

add more detail to their writing. In this way, I will teach my students the importance

of writing. I will show my students that each and every one of them are writers.

I also want my students to believe in themselves as artist. Art integration is

very important in the classroom, because its a sure-fire way to teach to every

learning style and every one of Howard Gardners multiple intelligences. Drawing,

painting, coloring, sculpting and photography can help visual-spatial learners.

Dancing, movement, and acting things out can help bodily-kinesthetic learners.

Singing and playing instruments can help musical learners. Group art projects or

making videos can help interpersonal learners, while making art about themselves

and including other concepts can help intrapersonal learners. Making art using

words and computers can help linguistic learners. Lastly, doing or creating puzzles

can help logical-mathematical learners. Every student has some form of art they

enjoy or are good at. My job is to help them find that art, and show them how to use

it to help them learn. I am currently putting this into practice in River Rouge every

Friday. I teach art integrated math lessons to fourth and fifth graders. Last year I
taught art integrated ELA lessons to second and third graders in the fall, and taught

art integrated math lessons to the same students in the winter. Watching the

students grow and learn while experimenting with art is really inspiring, and the

students really enjoy it!

I also have goals for myself as a teacher. My number one goal throughout the

year is to learn just as much as I am teaching. Children can teach adults so much

about creativity, openness, and innocence, if we just listen. Already in my

experiences, students have taught me so much. They have taught me patience. In

the beginning, I would ask a question, and call on a person to answer, but I wouldnt

wait long enough for them to answer calling on someone else. Too often I rushed

students through lessons, and then became frustrated when they didnt understand

the concept. Now I realize that students need time to think, and I need to relax a bit

more, and know that even if a lesson goes over time, we will catch up by moving

faster than I expect in some other area. Students have taught me to be more open,

rather than shy. I used to feel embarrassed singing goofy songs in front of students,

or doing silly dances. I realized, though, that students love it. They get excited, and

that makes me excited, which makes it a lot easier to be goofy. I was also afraid to

make mistakes in front of the class. I thought that as the teacher, I should know

everything about everything and be perfect all the time. Then, one day, I spelled

something wrong on the board. It was a really simple word- friend. I switched the i

and the e. I was so embarrassed that I had spelled it wrong (especially because it

was one of their spelling words that week) but all the students told me it was okay

and actually showed me the strategies they had found to remember that word. It

was a really eye-opening experience. Now I feel that its not just okay to make

mistakes in front of the children, but its a good thing! It lets the students become
the teacher for a moment, giving them more pride and self-confidence, and it also

shows them that its okay for them to make mistakes. Nobody can be perfect, and

this helps students accept their mistakes as learning experiences.

Teaching is extremely important in our society. It is the profession that builds

all other professions. It also helps build our society. If nobody was taught how to be

in a society, then there wouldnt be any society. Teaching is important to every

culture, too, because we teach how to accept other cultures. In schools we focus on

academics and personal goals first, but we also teach students to see and celebrate

their differences (and their similarities). Teaching is arguably the most important

profession because it builds other professions, societies, and acceptance of all

cultures. It shows children how to problem solve, so they can later survive in the

work place. We teach how to be scientists, so children will continue to question,

discover, and invent all the way into adulthood, helping society develop and thrive.

We teach the importance of writing so children and adults can communicate. We

teach students how to be artists, so they will always be able to find a part of life

that they enjoy. And most importantly, we teach students (mostly by example) how

to learn, so they will never stop learning, and never stop growing. We teach children

how to be, how to grow, and how to participate in an ever-growing, international

society.