Kirsten Watts

Dr. Cohan

Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

EDU 360

My mission as a teacher is to not only help my students achieve their goals, but to surpass
them. I believe every child is capable of attaining their individual educational goals. No matter
how much of a challenge it presents, I see it as my responsibility to provide necessary support
and scaffolding for my students to help them attain academic success. Working with students
with disabilities is one of the most rewarding professions, as I get to see the look of
accomplishment on my students faces when they reach their goals. To that end, life-long
learning is an ideology I strive to instill in my students.
Inside my culturally responsive classroom, students will be able to attain their content
objectives while being part of an environment which will facilitate positive social interactions,
self-determination, and positive emotional well-being. When my students feel safe and included,
they are more receptive to instruction. My classroom extends itself to the homes of my students
as there is no set time for when learning occurs. I know open communication is a vital
dimension of student success, which is why I encourage the conversation between home and
school. Parents are pivotal when working on social and behavioral goals as they will be effected
when progress is made. I strive to be one of the biggest advocates for my students. In being an
advocate for my students, I listen to their parents concerns as well as assess the students needs
and make sure they are being met through the proper services. Being partners with parents will
help ensure my students will have the support needed to help them succeed inside the classroom
and in the community.
When working with exceptional students, I see the value of their knowledge and talents.
Discovering my students interests and talents will allow me to use that topic to spark their
curiosity. Applying their areas of expertise into my differentiated lesson plans for the five areas
of English Language Arts instruction- reading, writing, listening, speaking, and language- will

Kirsten Watts
Dr. Cohan

Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

EDU 360

allow me to capture the attention of my students. I see the importance of adapting instruction to
reach my students diverse learning needs but also the importance of adaptation for authentic
assessment. The adaptation of lessons for students who are auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and
tactile learners will allow students to learn in a way that is best suited to them. Similar to John
Dewey I believe, students learn by doing, which for some of my students will require handson-activities to reinforce the concepts being taught. Evaluating whether or not my students have
grasped the material learned or the social behaviors that have been worked on are goals that will
need to be individualized and assessed both formally and informally.
Being an elementary teacher, I will be responsible for teaching all of the subjects through
an interdisciplinary format. I will tap into my degree concentration of history to help my
students develop a love for history. I think learning about the worlds history is important to
instill in my students as they may gain a greater appreciation for the world they live in. Not only
will the civil duties of citizens be explored, but also geography and economics will be explored
and taught in my class. Being able to participate in society as my students get older is an
objective for which I can set the ground work.
Being an educator of young students, I am able to inspire my students to create a love for
life-long learning. In order to accomplish this, it necessary to keep myself informed of new
techniques and instructional programs that I can implement in my classroom. I am aware and
always striving to better educate myself in educational technology. Technology has become an
ever-evolving world which is a tool to help reach my students. Making resources available to my
students is very important as these resources will enhance my lessons and will allow students to
grasp the lesson being taught. Reflecting on each lesson and seeing how it was received by my
students will allow me to sharpen my teaching pedagogy. By reflecting on my lessons and

Kirsten Watts
Dr. Cohan

Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

EDU 360

students performance I will see areas that need to be reconstructed for effectiveness, but also to
help me grow throughout my professional development journey.