Wyatt Nelson

Teaching Philosophy

Introduction

I first thought about becoming an elementary teacher my freshman year of high school.

I have always had a passion for working with kids, especially the younger kids and I thought I

would turn that into a career. In high school we had a chance to be a student assist in high

school and I really enjoyed going into the classrooms and I realized how big of an impact a

teacher can have on a kid’s day and attitude towards school. Science, Technology, Engineering,

and Math (STEM) disciplines are an important part of the 21st century teaching and learning

because the world is quickly changing. Being able to teach students these disciplines will help

them in their futures.

STEM Experiences

My experiences as a learner of STEM have taught me that they all go together without

really realizing it. I have also learned that you have to be very open minded, especially working

with young kids. We have been in a classroom the past two weeks helping and observing with a

bubble-ology unit. These past experiences have made me realize how much these subjects

actually bounce off of each other. Before I got into the elementary education program I worked

at a preschool and daycare. I was teaching kids these without even realizing it until now. I also

found that the students like it when you can relate the lesson plan or certain parts of it to real

life or things they know.

Content Knowledge

The content knowledge I bring to the education in the STEM field is experience working

with students in a school settings. I have been working with preschool through eighth grade

students the past few years with my jobs. I have learned through my experiences that you have

to have a lot of patience when working STEM subjects with younger students. I have actually

worked on STEM with students before I learned about it this year. I will be able to make

examples and explain the processes the kids will need to learn the content. During our 5 th grade

clinical, we had a bubbl-ology unit. We helped the students with the scientific method, different

types of graphs, addition, subtraction, multiplying, dividing, and so much more that help with

knowing all the content. It is important to know the content and its standards. I want to be able

to teach the kids to the best of my ability and be able to answer the questions they ask. The

better you know the content, the easier it is to teach and plan out lessons and activities.

Pedagogical Knowledge

The Pedagogical knowledge I bring to STEM is knowing all students are different. All

students learn at different paces and have different ways of learning. I also realize that as a

teacher you have to be very flexible and be able to adjust as things come up. Not every strategy

is going to work for every kid, so I have to be able to adjust and adapt new ideas in the

classroom. It is important to have a good attitude and be positive because you want to have a

positive impact on the student and their attitude towards school.

Role of Teacher

My role as a teacher, to support optimal learning, will be to encourage and support the

students. My role is also to keep learning so I can help and teach the students to the best of my

ability. It is important to know the content and show up prepared every day. I think it will also

be important to relate as much as you can to real life situations so the students can relate more

and then maybe keep them interested. In my kindergarten room, the teacher did a really good

job of relating the unit of Communities to the kids. She talked about Rochester and the things in

Rochester that the kids see and do every day. The kids were all engaged raising their hands to

ready to share. It is important to connect with the kids and have a positive impact on the

students learning experience. Learn a little about each kid so you will always be able to talk to

them about something and they will enjoy you knowing something about them. As a teacher

you have to be willing to put the time and dedication into the kids.

Developmental Theories

I think the theorist that supports my philosophy is John Dewey. He believes kids learn

best by doing and interacting with peers and adults. I look at this one through a coach’s eye.

While coaching at practice you can explain something to the kids, but then you have to get

them moving and involved for them to understand whatever you are saying better. I have also

noticed that this works very well for younger kids. I have spent some time in a kindergarten

room. The kids like to be hands on and always doing something all of the time, they can only sit

still for a small period of time. Even when you tell a kid not to do something, they are still doing

to do it because they have to learn for themselves. Kids will also watch you and try to do some
of the same things you do. I think this theory also goes well with STEM because for all the

subjects the kids should be engages and learning as they are doing.

Additional Preparation

To better prepare myself for this work I will study and know the content before I teach it

to the students. I will make connections with the students by getting to know a little about

them and create a good classroom community. I will develop classroom management skills that

will help the students maximize their learning abilities. I will learn how to prepare lesson plans

so I am prepared and organized when in the classroom and keep the kids on a daily routine. It is

important to stay calm and realize that things will not always go as planned, learn to adjust and

keep moving forward, and to always be open minded.

Conclusion paragraph

Writing this has made me realize how big of an impact STEM has on the students.

Sometimes school is the only structured part in a student’s day and it is our job to help them

look forward to learning every day. I have also realized no matter how much you know or how

prepared you are, teachers are always learning new things just like the students.