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Personal Teaching Philosophy

Anna Switzer

Regent University
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Personal Teaching Philosophy

The education experience I had growing up has defined some of my views on teaching,

but some of my views have changed as I have taken classes at Regent and have started student

teaching. I grew up in a school where most parents found ways to be involved in their children’s

education. However, I understand that many parents are not able to be involved and that teachers

must find ways to support these students as well. I also believe that teachers should encourage

students to participate even if they may not be sure of their answer.

I still believe that parent involvement is really important and can make a difference in

whether students succeed or not. Many parents throughout the United States are not able to help

their children either because they did not do well in school or because they do not have enough

time, but when parents are able to help their children and be involved, children are usually able

to do much better. Since many parents are not able to be as involved as other parents, teachers

need to offer students extra time to get some help such as offering tutoring or finding other ways

for students to learn or get feedback so that they can continue to learn outside the classroom. I

also believe that student teacher relationships are really important. Once this relationship has

been established, teachers are able to connect better to their students, and students often trust

teachers more. My faith also influences what I believe about forming relationships. Just as Jesus

did not come to this world to teach and point out mistakes but to have a relationship with his

people, I should not just teach and point out mistakes but form a relationship with students.

Ultimately, teaching effectively cannot be separated from the student-teacher relationship. It is

an important part of effective teaching. This relationship can also help students whose parents

are not as involved because students know that they can trust their teachers to care and help them

when possible.
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My experience has also influenced my teaching philosophy in how I view changes that

students experience. I want to be a teacher who is sensitive to the changes students experience

while in school because I know they can seem incredibly world-shattering at the time. Because

of my experience with my math teacher, I want to be a teacher who allows questions and wrong

answers. I do not want students to be afraid to participate but excited to learn. While this goal

may be difficult sometimes, I want to keep it in mind throughout my teaching career. During

student teaching, I learned that asking the right kind of questions is important to keep students

engaged, and I still want to encourage students to answer questions even if their answer might be

wrong. I have had many different kinds of experiences that influence what I think about

education and how I want to teach, but I hope I can use them to encourage students and help

them learn in the best way possible.

Another part of my teaching philosophy is that teachers need to work to close the

achievement gap, and that this goal is only possible if teachers are qualified. My faith influences

this idea because Jesus says that the gospel is for all people, and I also believe that education

should be for all people regardless of their background. Every person should be given a fair

chance to learn. If the teacher does not understand the subject, the students are not going to be

able to learn. Teachers should make learning more about a subject matter through classes or

online resources a top priority. Then, they will also be able to develop better curriculum and

have higher expectations for their own students. Also, general education teaching programs

should probably contain more focus on making sure teachers actually understand what they are

going to teach. I also believe that students who do well in school should be encouraged to go

into teaching to increase the amount of teachers who actually understand the content. During

student teaching, I have learned that I need to continue to practice and learn while teaching so
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that I can teach my students in the best way possible. Without qualified teachers, the

achievement gap will continue to be a problem in the United States.

A final important part of my teaching philosophy is the importance of having a classroom

management plan. Since people are social creatures, students are going to want to talk with each

other, but sometimes they will need to be quiet in order to learn or to do independent work. With

this knowledge, I can decide that I should include times for the students to interact and talk with

each other so that they do not feel the need as much during instruction. While the teacher should

not just plan to entertain the students, the teacher needs to plan material that can engage the

students well so that they will pay attention instead of being disruptive. Teachers can provide

incentives so that students will be more willing to behave. Ultimately, the students need to learn

to be self-controlled instead of teacher-controlled, but the teacher does need to be involved in

teaching them this important life skill. Throughout student teaching, I have learned over and

over the importance of planning: planning how to deal with behavior problems, planning

effective questions, planning effective strategies, and preparing for questions students might

have that they might not even ask. Without having a plan and being prepared, teachers can

easily get off track and not do what is best for students.

In conclusion, I believe that teachers play an important role in a student’s education. My

goals as I continue to teach include forming meaningful relationships with students, allowing

students to participate, make mistakes, and learn, and find ways to help all students learn. I hope

to reach these goals through preparation, collaborate, and reflection. As I continue to try to reach

these goals, I want to learn from other teachers and be willing to reflect and change my plans

when problems arise.