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Samantha Gehly
November 21, 2016
Personal Philosophy of Education
Education is one of the most rewarding occupations that anyone could choose to be a part
of. The saying, “to teach is to touch lives forever” is an accurate depiction of the rewards that
result from being an educator. In my opinion, the process of educating young minds is to allow
all children the opportunity to strive for success. Education opens doors and broadens horizons to
an infinite amount of possibilities. As a future educator, one of my ambitions will be to guide
and support my students no matter the choices they make, whether they be mistakes or not.
Without making mistakes, a child will have nothing to learn and grow from. Teachers must be a
role model that shapes young minds and a leader that encourages positivity and creativity.
Just as each individual students’ dreams may be different, so are they. All aspects of
diversity will be welcomed and respected in my future classroom; to enrich the learning
environment, students will learn to interact with any peers that are different from them in both
educational and social situations. There are several forms of diversity – from ethnicities and
cultural norms at home to diversity being shown through a child’s learning abilities. I aspire to
reach out to all students, no matter their background, by forming a respectful and valuable
relationship to build good rapport. In addition, I will integrate diversity in several ways, whether
it be through teaching about different ethnicities in social studies, informing students of religious
holidays, or having students share traditions/values of cultures at home. Through an assortment
of activities and teaching strategies, I will model and engage students in activities such as centers
or projects that will aid in taking part and being an active role in their learning.
In my classroom, I will combine the educational philosophies of behaviorism and
constructivism. Behaviorism is defined as a teacher-centered philosophy based on observable

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behavior as a result of learning. Constructivism is a student-centered philosophy that focuses on
the student’s personal way of interpreting information and learning. I envision this combination
becoming a “dynamic duo” where the classroom environment is structured and organized, yet
will allow my students to express themselves and their own unique learning styles.
Based on my experience, students, especially at a young age, learn through observation in
their environment and through behavior reinforcement (behaviorism). By forming or
“constructing” personal understandings and beliefs about the world we live in (constructivism),
students will learn to communicate, collaborate, create, and critically think to prepare for a 21st
century world. In both philosophies, environment plays a key role in the learning process, which
also ties into engaging all learners to take part in problem-solving based learning (PBL). I
strongly believe in a welcoming environment allows children to innovate and create, be excited
and motivated to learn, as well as learn from mistakes that are accepted and encouraged to learn
from. I will encourage students to create personal connections, build on content they already
know, and create connections to the world. Because every student learns in their own way, I will
accommodate several elements in my teaching, such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
strategies that will acclimate to diverse learning styles. These elements may include modeling,
independent and group activities, and centers to reach out to all students.
To reach diverse groups of students, an assorted curriculum will be necessary. Instead of
having a curriculum focused on a single type of learning style, it is imperative to create
coursework that is suitable for various types of students, ranging from their learning styles to
their personalities or behaviors. Granted that school districts will likely have curriculum
requirements, I will do my best to conform and make my curriculum as suitable, beneficial, and
effective as possible. As far as assessments and testing, I do not want these aspects to be the

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central focus of my classroom curriculum and teaching. Even though they are necessary to see
how well or poorly a student is learning and retaining knowledge, I want to avoid letting tests
control the educational experience. For different types of assessments, I plan on utilizing a
mixture of applying basic knowledge that we need to cover, as well as a range of general to
expanded understanding of the topic(s) to extend their thinking while applying general content.
Balancing the needs of an individual learner versus the needs of the class will be one of
the greatest challenges I will face as a teacher. It will be particularly difficult in a classroom that
uses inclusion of multiple types of learners, which is what I have set out as a goal for myself.
Despite any difficulty, I will do my best to balance the classroom by having curriculum that is
collectively beneficial and that incorporates activities that will be universal. A framework called
Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, is an example of what I could use because it
incorporates multiple strategies of teaching and knowledge comprehension. Through the process
of proactive planning of curricula, how each student learns will be considered based on the
“why, what, and how” of learning. One goal I will have is to build good rapport with my students
while making personal connections so they recognize that they are unique and valued. As far as
building connection, my goals for them are for them to develop the skills they need for a
meaningful education and for them to develop a love for lifelong learning.
One of the main responsibilities as a teacher that will be to incorporate global awareness.
I will introduce different forms of media, such as cultures and ideas, that will broaden the minds
of my students of what lies beyond the classroom and our community. Examples relating to both
curriculum and the global community include activities that correlate to other cultures, such as
research, art projects, guest speakers from different countries/ethnic groups that will give insight
into their values and traditions, books or stories, or educational videos. Having these global

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things in the classroom and education process will give a better understanding of the world
outside of the community we live in.
Establishing a strong relationship with students will be one of the most effective steps I
can take to establish a positive discipline environment in the classroom, as well as a positive
connection with parents, other teachers, administration, and the community. I hope to have open
relationships with each student or group I encounter, and treat them with the respect I would like
in return. When you treat students with respect, it causes them to behave appropriately and feel
comfortable to approach me to discuss any concerns or questions. Equally, this relates to parents
appreciating me to take the time to get to know their students and build a respected relationship
with them, as well. If I can integrate these elements into my teaching philosophy, I will have a
classroom that is efficient and benefits all of students, while being considerate of others and the
world around them.