Before entering into any situation it is important to consider why you want to do so. As to why I want to teach, the answer required little consideration. I love working with children in all aspects, but especially in an educational context. I have been working with students for eight years, mostly as a babysitter, but also as an educator. I thoroughly enjoy showing students new ideas and helping them to learn about the things they are interested in, as well as giving them interests in areas they may not have considered.

My personal philosophy on education centers mostly around the essentialist theory but with one key flaw. Although I believe in the idea of teaching students the basic skills and holding them accountable to them in order to progress to the next academic level, I also believe that the way students learn is not fully appreciated by this philosophy. I believe that the progressive theory, which emphasizes the importance of learning through experience, is a better way to teach. These two theories suit me because I believe that students today are not receiving the skills they need to be successful in higher-level education and the workplace, but I also believe that students retain information better when they learn through experiences, not notes. By combining the essentialist and progressive philosophies I feel that students could reach their full potential in learning and leave school with the key skills they need in life.

I feel that my legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities as a teacher are all basically the same. My goal is to teach every student in such a way that they not only learn the information, but enjoy the experience. I also believe that I must make my classroom a safe place both physically and otherwise to ensure the safety of my students at all times. I feel that it is ethically important to look out for the mental and emotional state of each child, ensuring that they are not being abused in any way either at home or at school. If I can keep my students safe and relatively happy while they learn, I feel that I will have met my legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities as a teacher.

In tune with my belief that teachers should teach every student, I believe that a diverse classroom is not a challenge so much as a privilege. It offers both the students and me the unique opportunity to learn about cultures and ideas that may be foreign to us. This knowledge can aid in a deeper and more open-minded understanding of the many people we encounter in life. I hope to reach out to all students by creating an open and welcoming environment in which the students know they will be respected. I hope to encourage my students to share with the class information about their lives and customs by giving frequent low-stress opportunities to share with one another.

I feel that my philosophy, beliefs about diversity, responsibilities, and why I want to teach are all basically reflected by the core values I hold. These values are authenticity and integrity. In general I want to instill these values in the children I teach while I try to live them and lead by example. I believe that teaching children authenticity at a young age will help them to be honest and to be themselves as they grow older. Also, integrity will help my students grow up and be able to do the right thing. Integrity is the one value that I feel all teachers should try to teach their children as it encompasses honesty, doing your best, never giving up, and being true to yourself, all of which are important for children to learn.