Running head: PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

Philosophy Statement

Yarlyn A. Pacheco

Professor Dr. Gimel Rogers, Psy.D.

HD 305

July 19, 2017

Philosophy Statement
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I thought that I was meant to be a nurse since a very young age. My aunt, who taught me

valuable things about life once told me that the reason I was in this earth was to help people and

impact everyone that crossed my path. My aunt was very sick and she fought against cancer for

as long as she could. That is the main reason why I thought I was destined to be a nurse, because

nurses were the professionals that helped her when I was present. After a year in the nursing

major I discovered that it is true that I want to help others by applying my knowledge but also by

sharing it. In those times the church I attended opened me the doors to work with children and I

loved it. I then discovered my true passion being a teacher or counselor was my best career path.

I believe that as a teacher I am responsible to impact the lives of children in positive ways

that help their development and educational skills. The most important aspects of teaching that I

value come from psychologists such as Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, and Reggio Emilia.

I know that all children do not learn the same way and that scaffolding is essential for

children in order for them to get out of the zone of proximal development. Children learn best if

they are presented a task in which they know the base of the knowledge. This is why I believe

this is one important task I want to practice with my future students. I want to enhance their

learning and provide a deeper level of understanding. Start small and build on their skills to end

big. The acceptance of every child is also important when I talk about scaffold. As a teacher I

believe that all children live in different circumstances and that I have to help them learn and not

only give orders. If scaffolding is in the plans of the teacher, the teacher should try to work at the

child’s pace and not become impatient. I cannot imagine a classroom of children that learn the

same way at the same speed, it would get very boring! Every teacher should value the

differences of their students and use those differences to make better curriculums to promote

education.
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It is very important to see that every child is an amazing artist that is capable of doing and

learning anything that is introduced to them. I believe that it is essential for all teachers to see

every child as a gifted, talented and strong. We have to support this idea and let them explore and

not be on top of them every time they do something. Open-ended materials and child centered

activities have to be enhanced in order for children to express their true self and artist that they

have inside. The environment in which children learn is important; therefore every teacher has to

deeply think of how the classroom is set up. As a teacher I want to address the different types of

learning that Psychologist Howard Gardner stated in his theory of multiple intelligence.

Including activities that enhances music and movement, language, science, and logical and

mathematical thinking. We, as teachers, have to think mostly on the children and how they can

express themselves in the classroom in order to promote learning.