It is my philosophy that teachers are so much more than educators. When I become a teacher it will be my goal to build family-like relationships in the classroom. I will take the time to form relationships with my students that are built on honesty, trust, compassion and respect. Ultimately, I want my students to feel safe and heard when they walk through my door and know that I will fight for them to have their basic needs met while in my classroom. Providing such an environment will give my students the tools they need to succeed and become the best version of themselves. This is why I strongly believe in the theory of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This theory states that each learner needs to have their basic needs met such as sleep and food, knowing they are safe, feeling of belonging, and self-respect before they can problem-solve and be creative (Mcleod, S., 2020). 

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Additionally, it is important for me to be able to provide my students with a variety of teaching strategies so that they can grow and learn to their fullest potential. I believe in John Dewey’s “Hands-on Approach”, which states that human beings learn through a hands-on approach and that reality must be experienced (Howley-Rouse, 2021). This means that students must interact with their environment in order to adapt and learn. I, myself, becoming an educator, will only improve and learn with hands-on experience within the environment. I believe in order to be a successful teacher, I will be learning and growing alongside my students. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

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Resources

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Howley-Rouse, A. (2021, April 13). Dewey's educational philosophy. THE EDUCATION HUB. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://theeducationhub.org.nz/deweys-educational-philosophy/ 

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Mcleod, S. (2020, December 29). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html