Chapter 2 Becoming a Teacher 55
to use a fi rst-person or “I” perspective. Keep your philosophy statement
short. As a student, two or three paragraphs are suffi cient.
Giving serious thought to your goals, career, and personal objectives
will pay off in the long run. You will know what you want to put your time
and effort in to achieving. You will know when you have reached your
goals and objectives.
Developing Your Philosophy of Teaching
The following questions can help you in developing your personal philosophy of
teaching. Think about each of them, and jot down your thoughts. Your philosophy
statement may include some, but not necessarily all, of these points.
• Why do you want to teach?
• What characteristics make a teacher effective?
• How do students learn?
• What is an ideal classroom?
• What should the relationship between teacher and student be?
• What motivates students to learn?
• What should be the primary goal of a teacher?
• Who is the best teacher you have ever known? What made him or her so special?
• What is the most important role of a teacher?
2-8
Use these questions
to guide you in
developing your
philosophy statement.
Summary Summary
Teaching is a career that offers variety, challenge and rewards. Although
specifi c teacher preparation standards vary by state, the same general steps
are involved in becoming a teacher. You can start the process today.
High school is an excellent time to begin exploring the fi eld of
teaching. It is also a good time to gain experience working with children
and people of all ages.
There are additional ways to begin your journey toward teaching.
First, set a specifi c career goal. Second, begin developing a personal
portfolio to keep track of your learning and to display and record your
developing knowledge, skills, and abilities. You can use this as the basis
for a professional portfolio later. Third, write a statement of your personal
philosophy of teaching. This describes your beliefs and attitudes about
teaching and learning.