Teaching Philosophy Paper

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Running head: PHILOSOPHY 1

Philosophy of Teaching Paper

Kyla McCartney

Azusa Pacific University


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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explain my personal philosophy for various components of

teaching. These components include the purpose of an education, my perspective of students, the

role of a teacher, and effective methods of teaching and student learning. Other components

include the role of families in education, and a semi-progressive philosophy of education. A

personal note about my own Christian worldview and service learning experiences at Azusa

Pacific University will be included in my philosophy of teaching. As an undergraduate liberal

studies student who is about to graduate, I am quickly approaching the time where I will be an

actual teacher in a classroom. Therefore, it is important to formulate my philosophy of teaching

before I enter the classroom, so I am aware of my own beliefs about teaching and education. A

philosophy of teaching will be demonstrated by every teacher in the classroom, but they may not

be able to formulate these philosophies into words. It is important to put these beliefs about

teaching into words in order to accurately represent adequate teaching philosophies in the

classroom.

​ hilosophy, education, beliefs


Keywords: P
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Philosophy of Teaching Paper

Future educators are responsible for forming their individual philosophy of teaching in

order to explicitly understand their own beliefs about their intended career. For the teaching

profession specifically, it is important to understand one’s beliefs about education, students,

teaching, families, and one’s individual educational philosophy. A Christian worldview and an

application to service learning experiences will also contribute to an individual’s beliefs about

teaching. An educator should develop clear and concise teaching philosophies about these topics,

for these beliefs will influence their approach to the teaching profession in the near future.

Purpose of Education

From an American perspective, education is a right every citizen is given. The Universal

Declaration on Human Rights, established in 1948, states that every person in the U.S. has the

right to an education (Right to Education). The U.S. offers free public school education from the

preschool to the high school level, and the purpose of this free education is to equip people to

become academically intelligent and capable contributing citizens to society. If education is a

right to all citizens of the U.S., then an equal education should also be a right to all citizens.

Historically, education in the U.S. has been unequal and inequitable for certain groups of people.

Recognizing this gap in educational achievement was the cause of the No Child Left Behind Act

in 2002, but it would be replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015 (EdWeek). Both of

these government mandated acts were to uphold a standard of excellence in schools, so education

could be equitable for every student.

An equitable education should be a human right given to all students, but this is a hard

standard to live up to. Therefore, a teacher should be committed to an equitable education of the
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students they are given. The purpose of an equitable education is not just for students to

understand curriculum to move on to the next grade, but for their individual well-being as a

contributing member of society. The purpose of education is multifaceted, but at the foundation,

education is to “enable all students to become caring, contributing citizens who can succeed in an

always-changing, complex world,” (Parkay, 2020, p. 102).

View of Students

Every human being is a student in one form or another. Human beings are learners,

whether in a school setting, a workforce setting, or any other setting. In a school context, a

human being is considered a student who is a learner. This group of learners in a classroom

creates a community of learning. However, it is essential to recognize students as both learners

and individuals. Students are individuals who have their own cultural identity (Parkay, 2020, p.

262). A human being’s cultural identity consists of the student’s “language, religion, age, racial

identity, ethnic group, exceptionality, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and

geographic region,” (p. 262). Recognizing each of these components of a student’s cultural

identity, and affirming these parts of a student’s identity in the classroom, will launch their

growth as a lifelong learner.

Students should come first in the classroom. It is easy to define success as high

standardized test scores, exposure to every facet of curriculum, or above average grades. All of

these are important goals for students, but each student is more than a number, a grade, or a pass

or fail. Students are individuals who are growing in all areas of life, and school should be a safe

context for them to make mistakes, learn, and ultimately, grow as an individual in an accepting

community.
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Role of Teacher

If somebody says, “I am a teacher” they could actually mean they are many more roles

than a teacher. They are a mentor, a coach, a nurse, a counselor, an activist, an actor, a teacher,

and possibly even more roles than listed here. Teachers, at any second, could take on a different

role in the classroom. Therefore, a teacher is an individual who is versatile not only in subject

matter and teaching styles, but in any situation presented in the classroom. Someone who is also

efficient in being adaptable will be able to manage various situations as they come.

Who a teacher is should be reflected by what the teacher does in the classroom. A teacher

is someone who is committed, who is supportive, who is engaging, who is fair, and who is

benevolent. A teacher should be committed to all students as individuals, and to all students’

academic, social, and emotional growth. A teacher should be someone who is supportive towards

every student throughout their educational journey. Teachers should offer support from students’

high-achieving moments to their moments of needing to address misbehavior, and every moment

in between. Students should be engaged by their teacher because a teacher should demonstrate

enthusiasm, intrigue, and exceptionalism. The concept of fairness in a classroom can be

facilitated in various ways. It is important for a teacher to have an unbiased attitude towards

students, and to create equal learning opportunities for them. A teacher should also be benevolent

towards their students who are individuals growing socially, emotionally, and academically.

Effective Teaching & Student Learning

Student learning is the outcome of effective (or ineffective) teaching. There is no single

pathway to effective teaching that every teacher should take. There are many factors which go

into the most effective teaching methods, and this will largely depend on students’ individual
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needs and the class as a whole. However, a common factor in all teaching methods should be

reflection and adaptations. A teacher should be reflective of their teaching in the classroom, and

they should identify which methods set up students best for success, and which methods were

causing more confusion than understanding. With reflection comes a willingness to make

adaptations to teaching styles, or methods. Therefore, a teacher should be willing to make

necessary changes to their teaching for the purpose of overall student learning.

Effective student learning can be measured in many ways. Two general ways to assess

student learning is through a summative assessment or formative assessment. A summative

assessment is a more traditional way to assess students, and these will take place after all

instruction has been given (Contant, 2018, p. 154). Forms of summative assessments can include

“multiple choice, true-false, short-answer, essay items, and performance assessments,” (p. 154).

Another way to assess students is through formative assessment. This type of assessment occurs

throughout the learning process, and is completed by asking questions, listening to what students

are saying in small groups or class discussions, or by assessing projects students create (p. 148).

These assessments can prove effective learning has taken place, but these are not the only

assessments of learning.

Inclusion of Families in the Education Process

A student’s family should be included in the education process from the first day of

school. During the first day of school, it can be a personal priority of the teacher to have students

share about who they are. Students can share who is in their family, so a teacher can learn who a

student is living with and who is supporting them. Throughout the year, students will share more

about their families, and when a teacher checks in with a student about their family, the student
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will feel seen and known. Another way to include families is by communicating with students’

families about what is happening in the classroom. This can be done through many methods now

with the accessibility of technology, but teachers can send home a newsletter to students families

about what is going on in the classroom either on paper or through an “app.”

A specific way to communicate directly with families, other than through a

parent-conference meeting, can be through phone calls. When parents receive phone calls from

their student’s teacher, it usually means there is a problem with the student. However, A. Baiseri,

a fifth grade teacher at La Fetra Elementary school in Azusa, CA. encouraged phone calls home

to parents about the things their student is doing well, (personal communication, October 9,

2019). The effect of this type of phone call home, twice a year, can bring parents joy about their

child and can have the student desire to keep working towards being a great student.

Educational Philosophies

My own educational philosophy is similar to progressivism. Progressivism is considered

“child-centered,” and not primarily focused on the teacher or subject curriculum (Parkay, 2020,

p. 118). I believe it is important to integrate student’s background and interests into curriculum,

and this comes from developing a relationship with students. A goal of mine is to create

respectful relationships with my students which will lead to fostering a community in the

classroom. As a teacher who embodies progressivism, this isn’t a method for the students to

guide their own learning, but the teacher is responsible for facilitating student learning as they

are going through the learning process. Personally, I will not disregard the curriculum students

should be learning, and I believe my role as a teacher is essential to the classroom environment.

However, the most important focus should be students, and not about myself, or my reputation.
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Again, students are the focus, even as teachers are trying their best to complete curriculum and

have their students meet grade-level standards.

Christian Worldview

I have been receiving a private school education for my entire life. My parents placed me

in private schools not because of the faith integration placed within education, but because

private schools were the “safe schools” in my county. Therefore, my education has been

saturated with a Christian worldview, and I am fully grateful for this. My education has largely

contributed to my Christian worldview, and has also contributed to my decision to teach in a

public school. I believe I have been called to take a private school education background and

apply it to teaching in a public school setting which will prove to be a great challenge.

Proverbs 1:1-2 says that the proverbs are for gaining wisdom, instruction, and insight.

Throughout my own educational journey, I have been given wisdom, instruction, and insight,

and

I desire to be responsible for passing this onto the next generation of students. It continues to say,

in Proverbs 1:3, that we must receive instruction in “prudent behavior” and doing what is

considered right, just, and fair. I hope to raise up students who stand for what is right, just, and

fair, but in order to do this, I must demonstrate these values in my own life first. The scripture

continues in Proverbs 1:4, and states that the proverbs can be useful to give knowledge and

discretion to the young, and I hope to be used as an instrument of implementing knowledge and

discretion in students.

Service Learning Experiences

The liberal studies program at Azusa Pacific University creates space for students to not
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only learn about the teaching profession from a professor, but also in local elementary schools.

Exposure to multiple classrooms in different elementary school locations allows liberal studies

students to have experiential learning opportunities. There were no greater learning opportunities

than the time when I was allowed to actually teach students in these classrooms. I have been able

to teach lessons in multiple grades including a preschool, first, second, third, and fifth grade.

Being able to teach a lesson to students in the appropriate grade was not only beneficial

for my future as an educator, but it cements my own desire to become a teacher. I have much

enjoyed these teaching opportunities to a whole class, but I have equally enjoyed working with

students individually in the classroom. This first-hand experience with students has been a

highlight of my undergraduate education, and I am grateful for these experiences provided by the

liberal studies program at APU.

Conclusion

Teachers should be aware of their philosophy of teaching before entering the classroom

setting. Different elements of a philosophy of teaching can include why a teacher thinks

education is important, and what is the role of students and the teacher in the classroom. It also

includes their approach to effective teaching and student learning. It is important for a teacher to

think about how they are going to incorporate student’s families into the educational journey,

and about their own individual philosophy of education. These are important elements to identify

to create an influential teaching philosophy that can one day be implemented into a classroom.
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References

Contant, T.L. (2018). ​Teaching science through inquiry-based instruction. ​New York: NY:

Pearson Education, Inc.

Klein, A. (2015). No child left behind: An overview. Retrieved from

https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/no-child-left-behind-overview-definition

-summary.html

​ oboken, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.


Parkay, F.W. (2020). ​Becoming a teacher. H

Right to Education Initiative. (2018). Understanding education as a right. Retrieved from

https://www.right-to-education.org/page/understanding-education-right

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