Teaching Philosophy and Current Trends
Being an educator is a challenging task since it includes many aspects that go beyond actual teaching. In my opinion, besides giving students essential knowledge, a good teacher also takes part in bringing them up as individuals and citizens, supporting them, and establishing a friendly atmosphere in the class. My teaching goal is to create comfortable and safe conditions for each child and provide them with a solid foundation for their further educational and personal development. I believe that special attention should be paid to developing important personal features in children, such as supportiveness, kindness, and confidence, as they are vital for the successful life and career of an individual.
Early childhood education aims to lay the groundwork for children’s future development. It is fair to mention that school psychologists, nannies, kindergarten and elementary school teachers, and other professionals working with children equally contribute to their successful development. For example, teachers are mainly responsible for sharing knowledge with children, school psychologists identify possible emotional or behavioral obstacles for learning, and childcare workers approach children with special needs. The support and supervision of these specialists are vital because children are especially vulnerable to different negative factors, such as tense relationships with peers or family issues. As the most important adults with whom children interact outside their families, they bring economic and social stability to society by giving them essential knowledge and care.
In this changing world, it is important to follow current educational tendencies. According to Essa and Burnham (2019), it is possible to notice that the economic aspects, changes in the family, and public awareness have greatly influenced modern education. For example, the rising cost of living and the increased number of single-parent families, the spread of immigration, and other factors made child care outside a family more important. Moreover, more attention is paid to the quality of education, which is a decisive factor in combatting poverty and creating equal educational conditions for children at risk (Essa & Burnham, 2019). Therefore, in the future, teachers, school psychologists, and other specialists working with children are likely to have more responsibility to assist students in their development and provide continuous support during the educational process.
Development Opportunities in Teaching
For me, being a teacher means learning together with children throughout their entire careers. Since many families are experiencing life difficulties, I would like to learn how to approach children at risk or marginalized children. Courses like Child Protection for Teachers are aimed at helping educators identify signs of childhood abuse and maintain their safety (Child Protection for Teachers, n.d.). Other educational programs, such as The Right for Education: Breaking Down the Barriers, teach how to create equal learning opportunities for everyone (The Right to Education: Breaking Down the Barriers, n.d.). It is an important objective of modern education, aiming to eliminate inequality and discrimination.
Another aspect, which, in my opinion, requires additional practice, is how to approach and understand children in terms of psychology. Attending School, Educational, and Child Psychology Conference would be a good opportunity to understand a child’s behavior and develop a personal strategy to successfully communicate with students and maintain their emotional well-being. Besides, I would like to learn how to establish a warm and friendly learning environment, since I consider it one of the most important factors of a child’s successful development. Unfortunately, many teachers struggle with the problems of discrimination and bullying in the class, and my goal is to find ways to eliminate these issues in my future career.
Reflection and Self-Critique
I would like to emphasize that reflection and self-critique are essential elements of an educator’s work. For example, Brookfield (2017) mentions that it is important to look from the students’ and colleagues’ perspectives to identify if any aspect of a teacher’s work requires additional attention. I think that critically evaluating success and failures in a teacher’s career is important to understand one’s strengths, mistakes, and growth areas. Moreover, establishing a close and trust-based relationship with children and their parents is essential since it allows them to freely express their opinion and suggestions about the quality of the teacher’s work. Understanding if one’s teaching methods correspond to the needs of children and the requirements of parents is vital for developing a comprehensive educational program.
Besides, it is important to critically examine the atmosphere in the class and the relationships between peers, since they are the indicator of a teacher’s professionalism. Brookfield (2017) suggests observing how children experience learning and what they expect from a teacher by applying some of the classroom assessment techniques. Moreover, I think it is always helpful to consult with more experienced colleagues and ask for their advice and critique.
To sum up, even though teaching becomes more simple and routine throughout time, it is necessary to be engaged in the process. The development plan for teachers may include reading related literature, attending educational programs, and always reflecting on the effectiveness of their work. The combination of all these methods would allow me to be aware of modern trends in education and understand children’s needs and expectations.
References
Brookfield, S.D. (2017). Becoming a critically reflective teacher (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Child Protection for Teachers. (n.d.). 2020, Web.
Essa, E.L., & Burnham, M.M. (2019). Introduction to early childhood education (8th ed.). SAGE Publications.
The Right to Education: Breaking Down the Barriers (n.d.). 2020, Web.