My Teaching Philosophy

My philosophy when it comes to teaching activities or games to children is first and foremost that all the children have fun, but while they have fun useful life skills such as sportsmanship, teamwork, leadership, and respect can be learned. To ensure that children have fun when I am teaching activities or games to children I will ask myself “Is what I have planned today in the best interest of the children? Will all the children have fun?” People describe having fun in several different ways. To some having fun means “winning” or being the “best” at the activity or game.  I believe it is all about learning the activity or game the right way and doing the best you can at participating in the specific activity or game regardless of individual differences. Every child has a different skill level, some are very good and some struggle at the different activities and games that can be taught. This is where I think the life lessons of sportsmanship and respect comes in because the children not only learn to respect themselves but also to respect others that may be in their class or on their team. I believe this is very much worth teaching children because they start to realize that all students have the right to be included even if they are not as skilled. Another very important life skill that I believe is essential when teaching children is teamwork. When I was growing up nothing was more rewarding then accomplishing a goal while being part of a team. Not only is teamwork about accomplishing a goal but it also allows children to improve their communication and interpersonal skills. From my own personal experiences being part of a team is what I miss most. Over the years I had the wonderful opportunity to make strong friendships that will last a lifetime. Games and activities are also useful in teaching children leadership skills. Leadership allows children to lead or be in charge of a group. Some examples could be like demonstrating something for the class, leading a game, and even being in charge of deciding how the class will pick teams for the day. The importance of leadership skills in a child’s life I believe is tremendous because it offers so many things for a child to learn and experience. Leadership offers things such as motivation, confidence, guidance, dedication, and responsibility.

My teaching philosophy is influenced by the years of unique experiences I have encountered while working with children of all ages. I have worked in classrooms, led club and camp programs, and have helped coach many sports teams. From these experiences I have learned to understand that every single child is completely different from the last. Each individual child has areas where they excel and areas where they struggle. By nurturing and encouraging the areas that a child excels, and constructively improving areas they struggle in you can build confidence and self worth. As a teacher I hope that through the use of games and activities both these approaches can be utilized to improve a child’s overall being.