My Philosophy of Teaching :: Philosophy of Education Teachers Essays

My Philosophy of Teaching I had a best friend in high school that had a disability. Her disability never slowed her down. She played softball and tried out for the basketball team. She inspired me. I know children with disabilities can lead a fun and normal life. With an idealist frame of mind I chose to teach, so I could show children, disabled or not, what a great impact they can have on the world. The classroom is where this realization for the children begins. My classroom will not be mine only. I want the children to have a sense of ownership of the classroom also. The seating will be circular with my desk as a part of the circle. Bulletin boards will be prepared with works the children have done, experimental material, and brainteasers. The bulletin boards will allow the children to experiment with new ideas and draw their own conclusions. We will have projects and materials that push the children to think, yet leave enough room for them to form their own opinions. The children need to be able to spread the wings of their mind and have choices in how we organize and run our classroom. By having a non-authoritarian classroom we have room for a democracy. The children can help me decide what rules will keep the classroom orderly and what punishments are appropriate for breaking these rules. If they create the punishment, it will be more difficult for them to protest when they are being punished. The students would have ownership in the classroom. To prevent my students from breaking the rules, I plan to motivate them using a variety of techniques. For example, I would give stickers for good grades, a book for a month of good grades, and free time to watch a movie as a reward for good behavior all month. For their many daily accomplishments, I would continually give them verbal compliments and praise. I plan to carry this encouragement into my classroom. I’m going to teach in a manner where the children can test the ideas and methods that I’m demonstrating.