answer for those people is, “for the love of the children.” My personal beliefs about teaching, learning, students, and what is

worth knowing all come together to form my philosophy of education. As a teacher, I want to be seen as a mentor, a translator

of subject matter, and a molder and interpreter of minds. I want to make a difference in children’s lives by being able to reach

into a child’s mind and understand them better. My main goal is to teach a child to be itself.

    As a teacher, I plan to not only to teach the students, but to learn things from them as well. The key success to learning from

your students is to know that a child has his own opinion and insight, and we, as teachers should acknowledge that. Teachers

should “understand students’ understanding” and view learning as an active process in which learners construct meaning. I do

not want to fully control the educational environment of my students, because I want them to have a sense of responsibility in

the subject matter that they learn. I want the children to understand that there is free choice, and that the aim of education

should be based on the needs and interests of the students, not the fact that we must cram so much curriculum material in, in so

little time. I want my students to have time for hands on experiences and really get a feel for their subject matter. I am a true

believer in progressivism. I want the children to have a decision in the curriculum decisions that we make. I want to focus on

the child rather than the subject matter. The child’s interest is much more important, and if I vary a little from the strict school

curriculum, I know that I will be alright. It is a proven fact that integrating thinking, feeling, and doing is very important. I am a

strong believer in the idea that learning is active, and that the students should be active and learn to solve problems by reflecting

on past experiences and their prior knowledge of subject matter.

    I plan to use the progressivism orientation to teaching in my classroom quite often. Society is constantly changing, and new

teaching ideas are constantly arising, but I feel as though if we make the students the top priority, and not teachers making the

grade and teaching for the test, that we can make the schools future a better place. By teaching my students social and

personal values, I feel as though I can set their ways for success in a bright future.