Philosophy Of Education

Success
Ralph Waldo Emerson
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

In his poem entitled, "Success," Ralph Waldo Emerson speaks of several different ways to experience success. The way in which Emerson describes success in his poem captures the heart of one of the main reasons why I have become a teacher. My first and foremost goal as a teacher is to create an environment where the students in my classroom feel comfortable and safe. Effective learning is not likely to take place if a child feels uneasy, nervous, or scared about coming to school. In collaboration with the students in my class, I wish to foster an environment where students look forward to coming to school, feel comfortable learning and taking risks, and trust me and each other. I will use my compassionate and nurturing nature to empathize with the students who may have some difficulty separating from their parents in the morning, or the shy students who have not yet emerged from their protective shell. I aim to support the needs of these students while developing the strengths of these and all students in my classroom. By holding out my hand, I have helped ease the transition from home to school for several students, making their world a better place. Knowing that I was there for these individual students gives me great satisfaction and joy, and reminds me that I have experienced success on this very important level.

On a different level, I have become a teacher because it enables me to be in a place of constant learning. Not only will I be teaching the students, I will be learning right along with them and from them. It gives me great pleasure to use my excitement about content and my creativity to create engaging lessons for the students. Teaching provides an avenue for me to be continually learning about various subjects through many different perspectives. I will also be able to participate in continuing education classes and conferences to continually enhance my knowledge of content and pedagogy. To be an integral part of the learning process, and to cater to the natural curiosity children have for life is one of the most exciting parts of being a teacher.

My passion for reading is another compelling reason why I have become a teacher. Teaching allows me to pass on my excitement about reading to the children. For me, it is a wonderful feeling to know that I have an important role in the reading process. There is no greater reward than watching the delight and enthusiasm on the children's faces when they read their first book.

I have become a teacher because I want a career about which I will always feel passionate. I want a career in which I will be able to put my best qualities to use, positively benefit children and society, and be successful. When I am teaching in a classroom of children, I will not be able to measure my success with an abundance of monetary wealth. I will, however, know that I will experience success because I will "win the affection of children... earn the appreciation of honest critics... find the best in others; leave the world a bit better... whether by a healthy child... or a redeemed social condition...... and I will know that on some level at least "one life has breathed easier because I have lived."