A
Philosophy
of
Education
by
Taylor
Anne
Weaver
The
purpose
of
education
is
to
grow
and
shape
the
minds
of
future
generations.
I
have
always
felt
the
most
fulfilled
when
I
was
making
a
difference
in
the
world,
and
what
better
difference
to
make
than
to
positively
affect
the
lives
of
students?
My
educational
philosophy
revolves
around
the
idea
that
every
student
has
the
ability
and
the
right
to
learn
and
that
it
is
my
responsibility,
as
a
teacher,
to
remove
any
obstacles
that
stand
in
the
way
of
student
learning.
In
order
remove
learning
obstacles,
I
will
need
a
strong
understanding
of
my
students,
both
personally
and
academically.
It
is
my
job
to
use
the
data
from
valid
initial,
formative,
and
summative
assessments
to
determine
the
needs
of
each
of
my
students.
I
will
provide
re-teaching,
intervention,
and
implementation
of
Individualized
Education
Plans
for
students
who
require
additional
assistance
to
meet
standards
and
goals.
I
will
provide
enrichment
and
extended
learning
opportunities
for
students
who
easily
meet
grade
level
standards
and
require
higher
expectations
for
their
learning
experiences
to
be
meaningful.
Students
with
special
needs
will
receive
the
accommodations
and
modifications
they
need
in
order
to
be
successful.
I
believe
that
equal
does
not
always
mean
fair,
and
that
fair
when
it
comes
to
education
means
that
each
student
receives
the
tools
they
need
to
be
successful
in
achieving
high
standards.
This
will
inevitably
vary
from
student
to
student.
Differences
in
regards
to
achievement
are
not
the
only
differences
I
will
address
in
my
classroom.
I
will
also
need
to
acknowledge
differences
in
race,
culture,
socio-economic
status,
gender,
sexuality,
religion,
and
language.
The
most
important
aspect
of
responding
to
various
forms
of
difference
is
creating
a
safe
and
respectful
classroom
environment.
I
will
create
this
environment
by
modeling
respect,
fairness,
and
kindness.
I
will
also
implement
a
classroom
policy
that
requires
all
persons
to
uphold
their
fellows,
their
environment,
and
the
learning
process.
I
will
use
positive
reinforcement
to
encourage
good
choices
in
each
of
my
students.
It
is
my
firm
belief
that
punitive
measures,
humiliation,
and
belittling
are
counterproductive
and
I
will
not
treat
my
students
in
this
way.
By
modeling
expectations
and
being
open
and
respectful
towards
my
students,
I
will
foster
a
safe
and
inclusive
environment.
I
will
also
be
inclusive
of
various
differences
by
making
my
instruction
relevant
to
each
of
my
students.
For
example,
a
strong
majority
of
historical
figures
learned
about
in
school
are
white
males.
I
will
make
a
special
effort
to
include
instruction
about
important
female
historical
figures
as
well
as
those
of
many
different
races
and
creeds.
I
will
also
fill
my
classroom
with
texts
featuring
main
characters
of
both
genders
and
a
variety
of
races
and
nationalities.
Books
are
an
excellent
way
to
foster
an
inclusive
environment
and
I
will
be
sure
to
be
conscious
to
include
texts
from
other
countries
and
in
multiple
languages
when
appropriate.
As
an
educator,
I
will
use
a
variety
of
instructional
strategies
to
engage
my
students.
I
will
teach
mini-lessons
that
include
modeling
of
new
concepts
and
skills.
Then
I
will
facilitate
a
guided
whole
group
practice,
small
group
exploration,
and
independent
practice
that
will
often
be
used
as
formative
assessment
to
guide
further
instruction.
All
of
my
assessments
will
be
informed
by
my
instruction,
and
likewise,
my
instruction
will
be
guided
by
assessment.
I
will
also
make
use
of
relevant
technologies
in
my
classroom.
This
is
not
only
an
engagement
strategy,
but
teaches
21st
century
skills
that
are
important
for
students
to
learn
as
they
prepare
for
the
real
world.
Other
important
life
skills
include
collaboration.
My
students
will
frequently
work
in
collaborative
groups
on
inquiry
based
learning
activities.
This
is
one
of
the
ways
I
will
make
my
classroom
a
student
centered
classroom,
as
opposed
to
a
teacher
centered
classroom.
It
is
one
of
my
goals
to
teach
my
students
how
to
become
autonomous
learners.
Therefore,
I
believe
that
students
should
take
ownership
for
their
own
learning
process.
Not
only
will
students
guide
their
inquiry
based
learning,
but
they
will
frequently
reflect
upon
their
progress.
This
is
all
a
part
of
the
process
of
creating
autonomous
learners.
Of
course,
in
order
for
this
type
of
collaborative
and
independent
learning
to
take
place,
a
classroom
must
be
well
managed.
In
order
to
insure
this
is
the
case,
I
will
maintain
an
organized
classroom
in
which
students
know
where
everything
goes:
supplies,
completed
work,
late
work,
work
to
pass
back,
etcetera.
I
will
spend
the
first
few
days
of
class
going
over
classroom
procedures
that
will
become
classroom
routines.
It
is
important
to
establish
these
routines
early
in
order
to
maintain
a
well-managed
classroom.
A
good
classroom
management
plan
is
one
of
the
tools
I
will
use
to
remove
obstacles
that
stand
in
the
way
of
student
learning:
my
primary
goal.
Student
learning
should
be
the
priority
in
every
classroom,
and
each
of
the
ideas
above
contribute
to
making
student
learning
optimal
in
my
classroom.
I
will
have
a
well-managed
classroom,
employ
a
variety
of
instructional
strategies,
and
respond
to
the
various
differences
of
each
of
my
unique
students
so
they
might
all
achieve
high
standards.
I
believe
that
it
is
my
responsibility
to
guide
my
students
to
become
autonomous
learners
and
prepare
them
for
the
lives
that
await
them,
and
that
is
just
what
I
will
do.
