My Teaching Philosophy Statement :: Education Teachers Essays

My Teaching Philosophy Statement If asked at age 18 if I wanted to become a teacher, I would have answered with an emphatic, â€Å"No.† However, in the past few years my opinions have changed drastically. Growing up with two educators in my household, I decided that I was going to be the different one. I had seen first-hand all the after-school hours required not only to grade papers, but also to organize and create a learning environment that was challenging and stimulating. I would opt for a different career that was less demanding physically, emotionally, and more financially beneficial. Besides, I had made up my mind that I wasn’t going to â€Å"squander† all of my hard-earned money on the many labs that my Dad prepared or the props that my Mother used to â€Å"hook† students in to learning. I wanted to be extremely affluent, and at the time, to me, teaching was not going to fill my financial cup. When first entering college, I changed my major numerous times; bound and determined not to follow the teaching path. However, while in for my spring break from college on year, my focus changed when I visited my mother’s kindergarten classroom. This excursion was unlike any of my previous ones. I noticed how much fun her students were having, and how eager they were to learn. These children were so considerate and innocent, and when I left them that day every single one of them hugged me as I was on my way out the door. This innocent gesture made me relish the sweetness of their spontaneity and uninhibited gratitude for any affection or attention that I gave them. I visited my mother’s classroom every day that week; I helped children with their journals, assisted with phonemics awareness, and played with them outside at recess. When I left that final day it hit me: this is it. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. In that one week, I had fallen in love with that kindergarten class, and the profession that I had adamantly fought against for years was the one that I could not wait to be a part of.