My+Teaching+Philosophy

A Young Teacher’s Philosophy

In preparation for becoming a special education teacher, it is very important that I begin to outline the basic principles of my personal teaching philosophy. The concepts that help me to construct this philosophy will include those such as how I believe children learn best, the role I hope to play as a special educator, and the part I believe the general educator takes in the classroom environment. Furthermore, I must also consider the invaluable function parents/guardians fulfill in the educational process. And finally, critical issues facing special educators today and what characteristics I think a successful special educator should possess must also be taken into account, as well.

Since a teacher’s primary occupation is aiding students in the acquisition of knowledge, it is thus worthwhile to understand how best to promote this process. In my opinion, that can be achieved by creating an environment in which children feel comfortable enough to explore, experiment with, an express unique ideas and concepts as they are discovered. Hopefully, when children realize that virtually all their contributions are welcomed and can be valued on some level, this will foster a perpetual desire for engagement in the learning process.

In consideration of the roles of the special and general education teacher, I am inclined to see them as being quite similar. Both serve, first and foremost, as the facilitators of knowledge for their students. Each is oftentimes codependent on the other and must collaborate well with other members of the school faculty and staff, students, parents, and the greater community. And, of course, the main role of both the special and general education teacher is to serve as an advocate for their student’s best interests.

As the first teacher their children will encounter, parents/guardians have a huge responsibility for shaping their children’s educational future. Though they share many of the same duties as classroom teachers, it is imperative that parents begin with exposing their children to the wonders of the world from the moment they are born in order to incite within them the desire to learn more. In addition, parents must also work to bridge the gap between home and school, encouraging learning in both settings. Ultimately, parents must also serve as a support network for their children throughout their entire educational journey.

Upon entering the classroom, teachers must be prepared - possessing a strong understanding of their own teaching philosophy – in order to face the numerous critical issues surrounding special education today. To begin with, there are immense budgeting constraints which limit supplies and resources available to teachers, students, and the classroom environment as a whole. Next, teachers are under constant pressure to meet (and hopefully!) surpass the educational expectations of an incredibly demanding school district, parents, and community by producing students who are capable of meeting higher and higher standards of achievement. At the same time, teachers must work to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. The critical nature of each of these issues begs attention when determining what to teach and the manner in which to teach it.

The final aspects of my teaching philosophy hinges on what I feel are the essential characteristics of a successful special educator. From my perspective, possessing endless patience would be crucial in this profession. Compassion for my students and a deep level of understanding for how their respective disabilities affect their interactions with the learning process would be especially important, too. Lastly, I believe that maintaining high expectations for the educational achievement of all my students would be the most significant characteristic that I, or any other special education teacher, could possess.

In sum, though it is still very early in my career as a special educator, I am happy to discover that I have much to relate when it comes to explaining my personal teaching philosophy. I can only hope that it will continue to develop as I add to my cache of teaching knowledge and experiences.