My First Teaching Philosophy
Tove Sorenson
When I was a kid I never really knew what I wanted to be. I wavered between wanting to be a chicken, veterinarian, chef and so many other things. I always have felt a sense of loss because I never had that set idea in my head. I wanted to do something that would involve every part of me. However, as a kid, we were told we had to be one thing. What “thing” could hold my desire to be creative, to share my passions, to have connections with people, and to see growth and hard work?
It was not until my first semester of senior year in high school that I realized I truly wanted to become an educator. I had the amazing opportunity to be a teacher’s assistant in my schools’ Low Incidence/Special Education classroom. However, that type of environment is more specific and unique than what I came to realize, what I wanted to pursue was English at a High School level- but it still showed me the same philosophy of teaching that I want, and hope to, grow into. To be the educator that stands firm in my beliefs- I want to be able to recognize the fact that education is a gift that should never be taken for granted; to be the educator that is willing to go the extra mile, and to have all my students know that I care about them; and to be an educator that invites mistakes and has the room for development without judgment.
My Top Three Philosophies:
- Education is a gift:
- According to the United Nations website- as of February 2023, roughly 78 million boys and girls do not go to school at all. This is either because of choice, or more significantly they physically cannot go because of conflict, natural disaster, governmental restrictions, etc.
- I was always told when I felt like not going because I was “tired of it”- that you should go for them. Do it for them.
- Any child in a situation that prevents them from attending school, or getting an education- would every single time want to be in your position.
- You are doing a disservice to yourself by taking education for granted, and you are dismissing the opportunity that so many wish they could have.
- Every student deserves to be heard and seen:
- Maybe one of my faults is having too much sympathy, but I cannot stand when a child is left out.
- An Edutopia article proves the idea of putting in the extra work as an educator improves students’ lives and overall success!
Ideas on how to appreciate students:
- Learn their name!
- Ask them questions
- Remember specifics (allergies, hobbies, likes/dislikes)
- Learn to care: look further than the assignments and grades
- See the people within the students
- Students remember the teachers that cared about them- and the teachers who remembered them
- Repay the vulnerability (with reason and maintaining a teacher-student relationship)
- Failure is okay!
- The kid I am a literacy tutor for (4th grade), I make a point to always tell him if he does mess up:
- “Just because you made a mistake, it does not make you less of a learner.”
- Stop promoting the stigma of failure being negative!
- Learning from mistakes grows your brain and neurons
- An article from the Continental gives amazing strategies and philosophies about growth mindsets and the idea of failing forward.
- “Each failure is a step in the right direction”
- Remember that you do not lose anything if a student does not get it correctly right away, or after a few times.
- Also remember that just because the students are not getting it- it does not mean that you are a bad educator- just means you have to find a new route that works for you and the student.
I hope to be an educator someday that achieves these goals. I know I have the determination to do it. In all honesty, I would not have even been able to recognize these ideas without having seen them “work” in person- so I am grateful for the opportunity that I was given my senior year, and the opportunities I will get through the education program at St. Norbert. I am excited to see how these ideas/frameworks will change and adapt throughout my teaching career – because they should! It is dangerous to anyone to hold onto something for so long without giving it the chance to develop and change with time. For example, with the blessing of time and change, I came to realize that I do not (and cannot really,) be a chicken when I grow up… unfortunately.
Articles Used/Works Cited
Beloumou, Daniel, and Michael Pierce. “78 million children don’t go to school at all, warns UN chief in call for action.” UN News, 16 February 2023, https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/02/1133567. Accessed 6 December 2023.
“Embracing Setbacks: Classroom Strategies for Learning From Failure.” Continental Press, 11 August 2023, https://www.continentalpress.com/blog/strategies-for-learning-from-failure/. Accessed 6 December 2023.
Korbey, Holly. “The Power of Being Seen.” Edutopia, 27 October 2017, https://www.edutopia.org/article/power-being-seen/. Accessed 6 December 2023.
