"It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before...to test your limits...to break through barriers. And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" -Anais Nin-

My personal philosophy of education has many components that I consider important. It is my goal as an educator to teach each student as a unique individual, meeting their cultural, linguistic or developmental level of instruction. I will always have an open mind, and encourage knowledge and learning. I want to create situations that motivate the students to learn. I believe that education should provide an opportunity for the maximum development of the student. I want to provide a democratic classroom environment with a personal touch, where all students feel a sense of belonging.

I am a firm believer in cooperative learning, and feel that students gain more from a group setting where they collaborate and work as a team to complete a task. I feel that students not only learn from their teachers, but learn from their peers. In a democratic setting, the teacher is not the focal point; rather the class is a unified circle. Not only are the pupils learning the general content area, but they are learning those hidden values of listening, respect, and courtesy towards others. Once this has taken place, one then learns to fulfill his or her responsibilities in becoming a contributing member in the class. Interaction with the students, on this particular level, gives them more freedom and leaves you with endless methods on how you'd want to teach the lesson. I want to be able to challenge my students and give them the knowledge they need in order to get to their next stepping stone.

In my eyes, each child has a creative and imaginative side and I want to make sure that it is brought out. Overall, I want to make learning fun. I don't want to rely solely on textbooks, but want to incorporate other activities. I would like to hold a responsive classroom where my students are comfortable and not afraid to be themselves. I want to have a positive impact on these students; I want them to remember me as one of their most influential teachers.

Learn more about this author, Nicole Fredricks.
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