Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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
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
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
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
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.
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,
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
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
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
all other professions. It also helps build our society. If nobody was taught how to be
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
cultures. It shows children how to problem solve, so they can later survive in the
discover, and invent all the way into adulthood, helping society develop and thrive.
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
society.