I. Philosophy of Education
It is important that as a teacher I have
an educational philosophy by which I teach. The basis of my educational
philosophy focuses around a few strong principles, education for all, available
resources, and effective teaching methods. These three components are all
crucial to a sound educational system.
The purpose of education is to
educate all students effectively and efficiently. In order to ensure this is
implemented properly all educators must be on the same page. Regular meetings
between teachers, administrators and other faculty are necessary to understand
the needs of the students and where improvement can be made. Also proper
training and effective teachers must be present in order to be able to reach
all students. Providing teachers with opportunities to attend professional
development conferences and be retrained in their field will increase teaching
effectiveness. Teachers will be reflective in their work and will use student
feedback and peer evaluation to increase their teaching efficiency. Teachers
will create goals for students that directly correlate to their future and
align with teaching standards. All students will be educated such that they
will be able to be proficient across all subject areas and obtain a strong
interest in many extracurricular activities.
Teachers will encourage student
learning through progressivism and a social constructivism approach. Teaching
by providing students with information and allowing them to work through this
knowledge will allow for a greater understanding than if taught by direct
instruction. Students will work through problems and various subjects in groups
and will learn the importance of teamwork, and contribution. Students will also
be provided with the opportunity to give back to their community. Fieldtrips
and community involvement projects will be a regular part of the curriculum.
Teachers will utilize the resources within the community and direct students to
resources that they can utilize on their own. Students will learn the
importance of using their education to further society and help eliminate the
disparity between all community members.
Students will be responsible for
their own role in the schooling system. Opportunities are provided to help
students further their education; however, students will still need motivation
to explore these opportunities. Teachers will encourage and show the students
the value of their educational furthering. Students will be held responsible
for their behaviors. Administrators will work together to create a behavioral
management plan to ensure positive student behavior that enhances the student
learning.
Parents will be an active part of the
student’s education. Parental support is instrumental in student’s success in
education. Parents will be active members of the school; attend meetings, meet
the teachers, and contribute to the classroom. They will understand the
material being covered and will then help their children to understand the
information being taught. Parents will supplement the information being taught
in the classroom in order to help students develop a further understanding of
concepts.
Education is comprised of three strong
components; education for all students, effective teaching methods, and utilization
of available resources. These three components encompass a wide variety of
objectives and work together to create the most effective learning environment.
Education must be revolutionized to uphold the values needed to ensure student
success.
II. Philosophy of Physical Education
Physical education is an integral part of
the educational system. It is important that as teachers we create a philosophy
that can guide us and serve as a reminder of our values. There are four areas I
find to be very important to teaching. I have created my own philosophy around
these four areas: student learning, assessment, inclusivity, and enactment of
these goals.
Student learning is at the forefront of
physical education. When I teach skills and lifetime activities to my students,
their retention and continuation of these skills is very important. In order to
ensure that taught skills generalize I must be sure that student learning is
taking place. I will use of adaptations to ensure learning for all students. In
my physical education classroom it will be important that information is
provided incorporates all of the domains.
As a physical educator I value my ability to teach students across
curriculum and incorporate aspects from many other subject areas. I will work
closely with other teachers to ensure that my teaching will align with what is
being taught. I also value my ability to teach students physical fitness
components. In alignment with the NYS and NASPE standards I will incorporate
physical fitness aspects into my classroom and ensure that the students learn
how to become more physically fit. I will have activities that will encourage
physical fitness but also I will create opportunities outside the classroom,
for students to develop this physical fitness and learn about how to
incorporate this into their everyday life. In order to ensure student learning
I will; provide the students with opportunity to learn in different ways, and
create different activities and lessons.
Assessment is crucial in every subject
area. It ensures student learning shows the student’s areas of strength and
weakness. As a teacher I will use assessment to attain a baseline and then
measure students learning. I also will use assessment as a feedback tool for
myself. I believe that it is also a great tool for finding out where your
teaching or the curriculum may be weak. Analyzing my assessments will allow me
to reflect and become a more effective teacher, in turn leading to better
student learning.
Education should be equal for everyone
regardless of social class, race, or gender. In my classroom I will make a
concerted effort to ensure all students are taught equally and that an
inclusive learning environment is created. One area where I will focus is
providing equal educational opportunities to students of different ability. In
physical education I will ensure that my teaching methods are effective for all
students learning styles including those students with disabilities. I will
create lessons that are effective for all students and will allow students to
learn in their most comfortable environments.
Physical education is a subject area
that requires a great deal of responsibility on the behalf of the teacher. As a
teacher I will ensure that I provide students with opportunities for learning,
assess students to ensure this learning and create and inclusive environment in
which all of my students can learn. I will ensure the enactment of my goals and
will strive to create an effective physical education classroom and program.
III. Philosophy of Athletics
Athletics are an extremely important
component of the education system. A wide array of values, and life skills can
be taught through sports and interscholastic athletics. As a coach I will apply
my educational background and knowledge of sport, to create an environment
where learning and athletics go hand in hand. I will go beyond the physical,
placing an emphasis on values, knowledge, and community involvement that will
further my team.
My coaching philosophy is based around
team success and education through athletics. The philosophy has been developed
in reference to the four C’s in the NYS Athletics framework: competence,
character, civility, and citizenship. My
purpose is to encourage player development, and instill my players with a sense
of integrity while eliminating disrespect between players and coaches. I will
encourage such growth and development while constantly teaching skills, morals,
and values, upholding my role as an educator. It is important to note that although
at lower levels success may occur with minimal learning, this is not true at
higher levels. In order to be ultimately successful, coaches must instill their
players with the very knowledge and skills they themselves possess.
I value my ability to interact with
my players, others involved in athletics, and the community as a whole.
Coaching goes beyond just teaching skills, it must encompass character building
and community service. I will be sure that my coaching reflects these values
and represents the ideals as stated in the NYS Athletics Framework.
This philosophy has been created and
revised in reference to previous coaching styles I have worked under, as well
as my own reflections from my coaching experience. My former soccer coach Lucas
Ahl, has also given me great inspiration through his coaching style and has
shaped the foundations of my philosophy. Ideals such as knowledge, values, and
community involvement are instrumental in an effective team and are crucial
parts of this philosophy. I will strive to be an effective coach and implement
all aspects of my philosophy in any sport I may coach This philosophy is fluid
and will change and adapt as I gain more experience in the coaching field and
will always reflect my values and morals.
