Alexis Gagnon

Educational Philosophy

As a teacher of any sort, it is important to have a personal belief or beliefs about what and

how you teach. Each professional has their own way of teaching that may or may not be

successful. There is not only one way to teach and so it is important that each teacher has his or

her own beliefs of teaching. A belief statement describes a teacher and they way that they prefer

to teach and think is the most correct way of teaching. Thinking about a personal belief statement

as a teacher can help a brand new student find the teaching style they best align with and believe

in.

Personally, I would like to teach at the elementary education level (grades 2-6). I have

worked with children for 4 years in a row that were ages 5-15 and I found that I work the best

with those in grades 2-6. This is such a crucial age and important part of life for these children, it

is the time where they are shaped as a student. They learn core academic and social skills at this

age that they need and will carry on with them the rest of their lives. I would like to be able to be

that teacher that students remember for the rest of their lives as their childhood teacher that

taught them so much and was an important part of them growing up. I believe that I know

elementary level content the best and so I would be best at teaching this level. Students are also

developing their study skills and this is the age where they find motivation for school-work as

well as lose motivation for school. This carries on with them all the way up through school and

so they need a good foundation of positivity, motivation, and study skills to ensure their success

in the future.

My personal belief statement stems off of perennialism, progressivism, and essentialism.

I believe a teachers role is to be the intellectual and moral role model. Teachers should be
respected and recognized as an authority figure and not just someone who is learning with them.

This is really important so that students can trust their teacher and it creates a learning

environment that can help decrease unwanted behavior in the classroom. However, I also think

teachers should relate to all of their students on a level in which they feel welcomed and unafraid

to ask and answer questions. Solving problems by experience and focusing on students interest

is part of the teachers responsibility. I believe in a teacher-centered classroom where the

teachers choose the curriculum. With this, teachers can still involve the students interests and

have them solve problems by experience.

The learning environment of a classroom should involve group instruction as well as

group work and classwork. There are many ways content can be delivered to the students and I

dont believe there is a right or wrong way to deliver that content. Varying the ways of teaching

new subjects can help students stay interested and paying attention.

Curriculum and instruction should be traditional core information at an elementary level

especially. Students need the basics of all subjects at first and then can later branch off into

higher knowledge of different subjects once they find their interests later on. Teaching the basics

will help students develop personal and social values.

Active engagement and cooperative learning are important parts of instruction in the

classroom. Having students actively engaged increases their attention which then increases their

likelihood of catching on and learning material that is being taught. When children are

cooperatively learning, they gain the skills they need to be able to problem solve with one

another to find a solution. Working together generates new ideas and helps to create an

environment where students feel like a community and can work together.
 My purpose is to teach students the necessary skills they will need for the future and their

careers. I want students to be able to use and build upon the information they have learned in

elementary school. Students should leave a classroom feeling confident and prepared to move on

to the next level.