Caelyn Ockenfels

EDU 202 – 1002

November 24, 2021

Educational Philosophy

Growing up I was the oldest of four children. I took on many responsibilities to help my

parents - cleaning the house, making snacks for my siblings, ensuring everyone’s safety, and

helping my siblings with any homework they might bring home. I found that I loved working

through their math and language arts assignments with them, and it brought me immense joy

when I could see the wheels in their head turning as they began to solve the problems

independently. It was at that point that I knew that feeling is what I wanted to chase. That’s not

to say that I didn’t try to find it in other places, in fact I was dead set on wanting to go into

crime scene investigation for a couple of years. I also debated following the career path of my

current job as a Registered Behavior Technician and continue doing therapy with clients on the

autism spectrum. Whatever I wanted to do, the core of it boiled down to wanting to help

people.

Helping people to grow and learn has always been my life’s passion. I want to ensure that

people can succeed to the best of their ability, and then push them to continue that growth.

This is why, for me, teaching is the most important profession. To help shape young minds,

teach them a variety of life skills as well as nurture their passion for education is the ultimate

way to help our future. I want to make an impact on as many lives as possible and give them

the confidence to go out and live their most beautiful lives. This passion was solidified for me by
my own language arts teacher, who showed me how much of an impression you can leave on

your students. No matter what kids did, he had patience and understanding, he was firm but

kind, and he made you feel like no matter what your background was, you could do anything.

I had the chance to observe a sports medicine teacher at West Career and Technical Academy

here in Las Vegas. At first, I was hesitant as sports medicine was extremely far off from what I

had interest in when it came to teaching. However, after just an hour in her classroom, I could

see why they placed education majors with her regardless of their focus. Mrs. Sabataso was full

of energy and enthusiasm which was reflected in her students. For as much medical

terminology her students must learn, she was still able to hold their attention. She included

hands on activities each day I was there for each class, and when I spoke to the students, they

all expressed gratitude for having such a fun yet educational experience with their teacher.

Many of them said that she was by far their absolute favorite teacher that they had, and when I

inquired as to why, they said that even though she was a teacher, she made them feel right at

home. No matter what they were struggling with, she never talked down to them, and she

always helped them figure out a solution specific to their learning styles and problems.

While reading the text provided in my introductory education course, I found that the

educational philosophies I found myself relating to the most were the student-centered

philosophies, mainly progressivism and social reconstructionism. Progressivism called to me the

most, as I believe students should have a hands-on learning experience while exploring

concepts that pique their curiosity. Education, to me, should be a process of ongoing learning

and growth where students can continue to build upon their knowledge rather than just

regurgitate it for a standardized test. My students should be presented with problems that have
them use critical thinking skills, which in turn will prepare them for their future as adults in the

workforce. I do believe, however, that social reconstructionism is also a philosophy that helps

drive my pursuit of educational standards. It is important that students are aware of the social

injustices that many in not only our country but also our society face. By making students aware

of these inequities that surround them, we as teachers can help them realize what privileges

they may or may not have and build on their empathy for their fellow students. My goal as a

teacher is to ensure that my students are prepared for the outside world in their abilities to

think critically about situations as well as build strong yet kind social relationships.

When it comes to psychological orientations, as a behavior technician I am accustomed

to behaviorism and the development of it by B.F. Skinner. I will admit that when behaviorism

was first developed and implemented, there were negative connotations associated with the

field. However, it has been worked on and behaviorism is a valid approach to include in

teaching. By rewarding students for the work they do, we are building a long-lasting

relationship that encourages them to continue to do their work for a reward system, whether it

be a classroom token system or individualized. Showing students that we notice the effort they

put in will make that work much more rewarding for them instead of just being for a simple

grade. Couple with behaviorism, I believe that in my classroom, I would also use constructivism

and scaffolding as they focus on students developing their own interpretations of information,

which is key to a valuable learner. By using scaffolding in the classroom, it allows students to

realize how they best link information, through use of songs or other mnemonics. While

teaching students their best study or learning methods, constructivism also ties back to social
reconstructionism as it can give students the opportunity to challenge their own assumptions

and stereotypes, they may not immediately recognize they have.

Taking what knowledge I have from teaching my siblings and clients a variety of topics,

as well as the advice given to me by my supporting teacher from my observation, I have many

ideas and strategies I see myself implementing as a teacher. First and foremost, I want to take a

gentler approach with my students, focusing more on positive reinforcement as opposed to just

pointing out anything a student may get incorrect. From experience, I did my best work when I

had teachers cheering me on while still giving a kind nudge when they felt something could be

done more efficiently. I also want my students to know that I’m there to help them with

whatever they need so they will see me as a guide rather than a drill instructor who simply

wants them to know the terms and reiterate them on a test. I know that not all students are

fantastic test-takers, and many may fail a test simply due to this fact, so I will ensure that my

grades are not solely on tests and assignments. I want to do check-ins and see how much my

students feel like they are learning themselves and tailor to their specific needs, whether they

need a certain type of testing question or if they may prefer an oral exam to a written one. My

job as a teacher, in my mind, is to ensure that my students are absorbing the knowledge to use

in their futures as adults and not just to use it once then throw it away which may require

different assessments such as these check-ins, homework assignments, group projects, and solo

work.

When it comes to student diversity, my main goal is to celebrate people’s differences

instead of shaming them for it. Not all my students will have the same life experiences, so I

want my classroom to be a safe space where students can feel like they don’t have to hide their
differences. I am passionate about LGBTQ+ rights and will ensure that my students in this

community know that I will do everything I can to protect them. I also want my BIPOC students

to know that despite my race I will always make sure I am doing my best to erase certain

stereotypes and biases. In my class, I won’t tolerate sexism, racism, homophobia, or ableism

and will show this to my students instead of simply just being all talk as I have found some

instructors to be. Since I know there will be socio-economic differences no matter what school I

will be in, I would also want to ensure that my classroom can be a safe space for students to

come if they are struggling with something such as hunger or hygiene. Since I am aiming to be a

high school teacher, I know that many students of that age can be extremely judgmental, and I

want to do my best to help students who may not have the means to do so. This may mean

having a snack drawer, a place for feminine hygiene products, or even extra combs and

toothbrushes. I will also ensure I’m using inclusive language with my students, from gender

identity to even parental terms, such as using “grown-ups” or “adults” instead of “parents” as I

know there is a possibility that some of my students may not have their parents at home. This

way, my students will not feel excluded from their peers, but I’m also not calling attention to

which students may need that inclusive language.

For me to be fully prepared for my own classroom, I am beginning to look for paraprofessional

and teacher’s assistant opportunities within the school district while I continue my education at

CSN. I believe that while taking exams and reading from a textbook are important to furthering

my knowledge of the educational field, hands-on experience is invaluable. Even having done

just ten hours of observation with an accredited teacher has broadened my knowledge of what

it means to be an educator. Watching a professional in action has given me more insight and
ideas than I was gaining from reading about these expectations. My partnering teacher showed

me a variety of ways to engage with a classroom, so I believe that having experience in the

classroom itself would be the most beneficial to my education. The qualities that I have found

are ideal for a teacher would be empathy, adaptability, patience, and having skills in

communication and listening, both to coworkers as well as students. While I would like to

believe I have a firm grasp of these qualities, I want to continue to build upon them and ensure

that my students will have the best teacher available to them. Truly, I cannot wait to have my

own students and apply the knowledge I will have to their education and watch as they bloom

over the course of the time I have them.