This is
My Educational
Philosophy

My educational philosophy is based on my personal experience as a student, a parent, and an educator. I have instructed students ranging in age from under ten to over forty. I have arrived at some conclusions that I believe to be generally true.

First, I realize that not all students will be interested in the same subject areas. The subject itself is immaterial to this. I believe it is the goal of the teacher to come up with different approaches that will appeal to as many students in the class, as possible. For the student population, who are not enthusiastic about the subject area that is being taught, it is important to offer motivational carrots. These rewards can be anything from stickers for young children to extra credit for the older population. You need to be able to  read your class to know which rewards will spark the proper motivation. This is important, because unmotivated students, in addition to not participating in the learning process themselves, can become a distraction to the motivated students.

It is also essential that the students have confidence in their teacher as "an expert". It is this expertise in the subject that gives the teacher his/her authority to teach the subject to the class. Every teacher must be well versed in the topic that they are teaching. It is important to be well prepared, so that if a student asks a question about the lesson of the day, chances are that the instructor will be able to answer the question with some certainty. If the instructor does not know the answer to a question, tell the student that the question is great, and suggest they do the research and offer their answer during the next class.

Finally, a variety of presentations must be used in the classroom. This is because different students respond to different methods. It is very important to remember that every person has a learning style that is best for them. Some students are auditory learners; some are visual learners, while others are tactile learners. It is important to understand the population that you are teaching and to utilize the teaching styles needed for the students to be successful. Some students will respond better to a PowerPoint presentation, some to a lecture, some to a multimedia presentation or an activity or lab work or an active discussion on the subject. By using a variety of teaching methods the teacher will be better able to involve his/her students in the subject.