Philosophy of Education

By Jessica Brooks

Hi, my name is Jessica Brooks and I want to be a teacher to influence the younger

generations about their ability to excel at anything that they want. I want to show students that

there is no limit to what they can accomplish through the academic fields. I have been a student

for many years and have my fair share of bad teachers. It seems that the longer people stay in the

school system the less motivated they are to help the students with the extra mile. As a student, I

would always dread going into those classrooms. Teaching should be a fun and interactive

experience for both parties. In the school system, I understand that teachers are looked upon as

role models and as students, this is important to realize as a teacher that we are forever learners.

Teachers in this complex school system will always be adapting to the new curriculum

and to the students that are ever changing in their youth. I believe that the students should be in a

progress classroom environment that is preparing the students for the future. The classroom will

be student based, after all the students are the reason why we became teachers, so we must focus

on becoming more student based.

The students are more interested to learn and assimilate real life problems if it is of

relevance to them. As a student, the only classes that I was eager to go to were classes that

focused on up to date events, or the teacher found a way to make the history lesson into a current

way of thinking. The teachers that can connect the curriculum to real life will always have the

higher test scores or the better students. I believe that making the classroom relatable to everyday

life is what will benefit the students the most. In my classroom, I strive to have all students

interested in what they are learning. Time and time again as a student especially in high school I

would ask myself “Why do I need to take this class, it literally doesn’t teach me anything.” It
was those classes that I would they were strictly memorization based. There was no real

connection to the student and the material. It is important to remember what you would have

wanted from your teacher at that age group.

As teachers, it is vital to stay up to date with our techniques of teaching. Teaching is

always changing just as the students and it is important to adapt and realize how the children

learn best. One year the students may be better at memorization and the next the student will be

better at active learning. A teacher needs to be able to adapt to all styles of learning. Teaching is

a changing field and being adaptable is the best way to help the students achieve anything and

move on the bigger and better things.

In the classroom, I will implement a safe and fun place of learning. It is important for

students to feel safe and confident enough to ask questions. There are no dump questions and it is

a good way for students to practice their communication and social skills with the other students.

As a teacher, I strive to reach every student at the most effective way, so I believe that the

students learn best in small group activities. These activities are of groups of 2-3 students. I

believe that by maintain a small group environment so that no one student is doing the work

load. This skill is a key component in any job setting or after school activity for the students. As

a teacher, it is important to share these key skills with students so they can further translate them

into the real world.

As we all know each student is different and no one class is the same, it is important to

realize the student variability and push the students to keep working toward a greater good. I

believe that if you nurture a child too much then they will expect the same reaction from the

whole world, so it is important to allow the child to learn in an assistive environment. The

teacher can help the student with major difficulties and help steer the child to the correct path;
however, the teacher will let the student finish the project on their own and allow the student to

grow as an individual. The students will progress at their own rate and it is important to allow

them to do so and give them select guidance as they progress throughout the year. At the end of

each lesson the assessments will be given to see how much information the student has obtained

and to do a self-reflection on how the student can improve in the subject and how the teacher can

also improve in the subject. I think this self-reflection will help both parties cooperate more

harmoniously.

In furthering my career, I must finish my associates degree in early childhood education

and then further move onto a bachelor’s program. I plan to take my bachelors program at UNLV.

In the time, it takes to finish my degree I will have done all my volunteer hours and been able to

student teach once I am authorized to. I plan also to complete an associate’s degree in

Kinesiology which I am currently in pursuit of. At the end of my education I plan to have an

Associate’s Degree in Kinesiology and a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.