Philosophy Statement
My name is Sara V Ruiz, and I am confident that my educational philosophy will serve me in my preparation for a future career as an educator. My outlook on educational practice will help my students better understand me and help me to know them better. Additionally, my philosophy will help me remember the importance of my position as an educator. I hope that one day my students will walk away from my classroom and be proud of what they have accomplished. I want them to think that anything they will have achieved will be because one of their teachers told them that nothing is impossible and everything is possible if they work hard. My role as a teacher is not only that of the person who will introduce my students to the world of letters and numbers. My role as an educator is to provide them with the necessary tools required to contribute to our communities. Becoming a teacher is an enormous responsibility because we have to instill in our students a commitment to learning, respect for others, and a better understanding of the world around us (Goldstein, 2014). With the future course of our students’ lives in our hands, we teachers have a way to create a stronger society and community.
When I was a child, I always dreamed of being a teacher. I dreamed of becoming a teacher because I wanted to make a difference like many of my own teachers that I encountered during my educational experience. During my childhood, I encountered many teachers, each of them with many virtues and many shortcomings. I have seen teachers demonstrate a preference for intelligent children and the discrimination involved, as not all children were treated equally. I want to become a teacher who can connect with my students in a positive manner. In order to teach successfully, it is essential to learn and understand my students’ backgrounds, cultures, religions, and, most importantly, their unique needs as individual human beings (Spooner, 2014). As an educator, I must be aware of my student’s needs and involved in my student’s lives. I will instill in them moral values such as respect, honesty, generosity, kindness, integrity, courage, compassion, and acceptance.
My teaching style will be inspired by Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934). Vygotsky believed that social interactions with more informed adults and peers could facilitate a child’s learning potential. Without this interpersonal instruction, he believed that children’s minds would not advance very far as their knowledge would be based solely on their limited experience. Vygotsky’s most innovative concept was the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Vygotsky states that children must be taught the ZPD, which occurs when they can perform a task with assistance but not yet on their own. With the right kind of teaching, they can perform the tasks successfully. I want to be a good teacher who can identify my students’ ZPD and help them develop beyond the basic level of achievement. Observing our students and taking notes to record their progress is essential for developing a better understanding of the student’s needs (Van der Veer & Valsiner, 1994). My approach would be to gradually withdraw the support that I have been providing until the child can perform the task without assistance.
Teaching offers an opportunity for continuous learning and growth. As an educator, it instills a love of learning in my students as I share my passion for learning with them. I greatly admire the view of Vygotsky because I can better connect with my students through the application of his methods (Van der Veer & Valsiner, 1994). Observing is essential to best understand any kind of phenomenon or task. Children develop a greater level of understanding and make their experiences meaningful when they see tasks being performed and are able to use their hands to accomplish tasks on their own. My teaching style will involve explaining every academic subject in my classes through the use of natural objects and visuals. The students need to observe the relevant information on a visual level in order to make the necessary connections.
References
Goldstein, D. (2014). The teacher wars: A history of America’s most embattled profession. Los
Angeles: Doubleday.Spooner, F. (2014). Serving students with healthcare needs. In Agran, M. (ed.), Equity and full
participation for individuals with severe disabilities: A vision for the future (p. 239). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Pub.Van der Veer, R., & Valsiner, J. (Eds.) (1994). The Vygotsky Reader. Oxford: Blackwell.
