Educational Philosophy

Final Draft

Why do I want to teach?

I came from a family of people who are educators, but that is not my initial reason for wanting to
become a teacher. In 2001, I got my first job as a teacher assistant working for a school district.
When I started in education I worked at a middle school and I was at the same middle school for
8 years. Every day was not a perfect day but it was worth knowing that I was assisting the
teacher and we were impacting students lives. We might not have reached every child but we
tried our hardest. The passion for teaching came when I had students that would come back to
the school to visit me. Not only did they come to visit me but they came with personal stories.
Mrs. Littlejohn, Thank you for talking to me when I was a student here. I know you think I
wasnt listening but I was listening to you. They came back to say, I am graduating and I want
you to be there because you were one of the people who pushed me. That is a feeling of love
and accomplishment and it is the best feeling in the world! I knew then that there was not another
job for me but educating young children and being in the field of education.

Whom am I going to teach?

My goal is to teach 1st grade students. I desire to teach 1st grade students because there little
brains are like sponges. Although, I know I will face many challenges. As a parent I have had
primary teachers come to me and say, I have a concern because my child didnt get the concept
of a lesson that was taught. Every child is different and learns differently. That doesnt mean that
if the child didnt get the concept the first time we should want to put labels on the child. Thats
why I want to become a 1st teacher. It is my calling and it is my goal to go over and beyond for
young children. It is not my calling or passion to give up on a child, or become a teacher to have
a lot of days off work.

How am I going to teach?

I am going to teach by following the districts curriculum/TEKS. However, I am going to teach
to the needs of each and every one of my students. I will be teaching on different levels. I will
incorporate small group learning. Technology will defiantly be incorporated. I want a class where
we go outside the box and think. I love for each and every one of my students to be engaged and
not scared to be wrong. I notice that a lot of students shy away or dont want to answer questions
because they are afraid of being wrong. Students need to be encouraged and know that is okay to
be wrong because thats how we learn how to do things right. I want a classroom with a good
rapport established with parents and students.

Where am I going to teach?

Where am I going to teach is the tricky part for me because I have seen two different sides of the
world. In other words, I have worked in low S.E.S (socioeconomic status) and I have worked in

suburban areas. Both have benefits. Working in the low S.E.S areas there is not a lot of parent
support but the kids are hard workers because they want to change their lives and everyday living
that they are surrounded by daily. Most of the students take pride in a teacher that gives them
good motivation and respect. Suburban areas are just as great also. There is a lot of parent
support and that is good when making sure that homework and other school task get carried out.
I know I will be working for an elementary in the public school system, I just dont know what
areas. However, I plan to work in public education verses working at for a private school. My
hopes and dreams is to become an elementary teacher; teaching first grade. I would love to work
in a small town verses working a big city. The reasoning is because I feel the rapport between,
teachers, family and community would be strong.
TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS STANDARDS FOR ALL BEGINNING
TEACHERS
Standard IV. All teachers communicate information in different formats and for diverse audiences.
Standard V. All teachers know how to plan, organize, deliver, and evaluate instruction for all students
that incorporates the effective use of current technology for teaching and integrating the Technology
Applications Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) into the curriculum.
Standard XI. Beginning teachers who are not technology application specialists are not responsible for
this standard.
3.10s use subject matter foundation and enrichment curricula in the creation of products;
3.12s complete tasks using technological collaboration such as sharing information through on-line
communications;
4.12s evaluate products for relevance to the assignment or task.
5.1k planning techniques to ensure that students have time to learn the Technology Applications TEKS
in order to meet grade-level benchmark expectations;