My philosophy of education is continuously developing. Although I am at the beginning of my professional career, I will forever be a learner and teacher. My students are like a textbook, at times hard to read, but filling me with the knowledge and understanding necessary to become a successful educator. I wholeheartedly believe that children are capable of learning and experiencing whatever we ask them to do. Nonetheless, the paths they take to get to this point may be different. Therefore, a teacher must find new, innovative, and creative ways in which to stimulate and propagate this academic and personal growth. Although I do not feel comfortable expressing my philosophy of education in a brief paragraph, I will summarize my philosophy and beliefs through the following components.

All Students are Unique: Each student is capable of learning and growing academically, socially and personally. In order to stimulate this learning, a teacher must recognize that each student's path to success is one that is unique to him or her. Through the addressing of various learning styles and abilities, a teacher should strive to reach each one if his or her students to maximize learning.

Student Empowerment Through Collegiality and Community: Students should be motivated and nurtured in an environment that fosters community, where students can acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors necessary to be successful members of our society. Promoting the development of the whole child through discovery, creativity, problem solving and sharing activities in a safe and nurturing environment will further encourage a child filled with self-respect and self-esteem. Individual and cooperative learning activities will be utilized in order to yield the feelings of uniqueness and individuality. Community and collegiality will be the vehicle for risk taking and open communication in our learning family while embracing commonalities and differences in a reassuring and optimistic environment.

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment: A teacher is responsible for understanding and applying instructional strategies and goals. Through the creation and execution of lesson plans that contain specific objects, attainable goals, well-prepared procedures, a teacher will better be able to interpret and evaluate student learning. A teacher will employ a variety of developmentally appropriate strategies and approaches in order to modify and reach each student, promoting problem solving and critical thinking. In addition, executing hands-on activities that are age-appropriate will allow students to experience curricula in a creative way, making connections to everyday life and the real world.

Professional Development: Learning is a lifelong process. A competent educator will continue his or her education through professional development opportunities. Content knowledge and pedagogical skills will enhance a teacher's ability to build upon his or her background knowledge and instructional skills.