Every child can learn, and every child deserves the opportunity to choose to learn.  My philosophy is that every child can be and should be taught, and as a teacher that is my responsibility.  It is the job of the student to learn and the job of the teacher to teach.  To me, being a teacher requires being totally committed to the development of young minds.  This is best done in an appropriate classroom, with meaningful and interesting activities, which meet the needs of all children in the class.  Teachers need to create curiosity in children to inspire their interest.  Students will have the most interest when subjects are relevant to themselves.  Teachers need to show children how the topic they are learning is relevant to the student and to life.  Children should learn to be successful in school, which carries on to later life.  Teachers should have high expectations of all of their students.  If a teacher has low expectations, the students will fulfill that prophesy by only doing what is expected of them.  Teachers should motivate their students to do well in all things they attempt.  Children learn best from hands-on experiences and discovery.  As a teacher, I can be a positive role model and encourage my students to do their best.  I can bring enthusiasm and excitement to my classroom, while giving my students the highest education.
    A positive learning environment is imperative to a child’s learning.  A classroom should allow students to explore, discover, and learn on their own or with scaffolding by the teacher.  A classroom is where students should feel themselves and feel comfortable expressing themselves.  Students require a safe and nurturing environment, both from the dangers of the world around them and from the mental dangers that can occur such as embarrassment and ridicule.  When children are in an environment where they feel safe, they feel freer to actively explore and learn.  Students also need to experience the social interaction of school.  For many younger students, school is the first time they experience being with other children.  Students need to learn how to interact with peers and adults in a school setting.  To accomplish this, I will set my classroom in tables or clusters of desks.  This immediately requires social acceptance and interaction in a young child.  Social interaction is vital to children’s development.
    As a teacher I will promote parental involvement in the students lives and academic ventures.  A family oriented classroom is more conductive to a child’s learning.  Research shows that parental involvement is positively related to a child’s achievement.  When parents are involved in schools, there is an increased improvement in attendance, homework completion, and teacher/parent communication.  Parents should be invited into the classroom anytime they want, and especially on special days.  Parents should be aware of what their child is learning.  I plan to keep in contact with the parents of all my students and leave the lines of communication open.  A parent is a child’s first teacher.  They know the most about their child and are a valuable resource to the teacher.  As teachers, we need to make sure that parents are contacted, through emails, newsletters, telephone calls, and home visits.
    Along with collaboration with the students’ parents, there should also be collaboration and cooperation with other teachers and faculty.  Collaboration helps to share ideas, strengthen lessons, and to be sure that the children are learning with they need to for the next grade level.  With all teachers working to better the education for their students, the overall education quality will increase.
    Every child can learn and deserves to learn.  I will promote learning and collaboration to make my students education the best possible.  A teacher's life is to teach.