Early Childhood/Middle Childhood Education - Bachelor of Science
Deidre
Caldwell
College
Of
Menominee
Nation
Philosophy of Education
From my past, my education at the College of Menominee Nation and my experience
working as a paraprofessional for students diagnosed with autism I have developed a philosophy
of education that I intend to implement in my future classroom. I am a Native American woman
and enrolled in the Lac Courte Orrelies Nation. Ever since I was a little girl I knew that I wanted
to help people. My aspirations evolved over time and through different ventures of service I
discovered that the singular intent behind all of the careers I was interested in was that I wanted
to help children. I wanted to be in service to children that were like me. When I was a young
child I was a victim of sexual molestation, the daughter of an alcoholic father and also was told
to never confide in my mother or anyone else about anything that had happened negatively to
me. On the outside I was a normal, mostly well behaved child. On the inside, I was very
confused, my self worth was damaged and I felt alone. Since, firsthand I know that any child
can have traumas hidden within them, I want to be someone in my students lives that they can be
empowered from, motivated from and encouraged from.
The biggest part to developing my philosophy of education has been in hopes of
continuing to work with at risk students and utilizing the training in trauma informed care that I
have done through my employment with the Menominee Indian School District. Trauma
informed care and teaching combined means that the students overall needs are of utmost
importance. In order to strengthen my education goals I will be taking an eclectic approach and
utilizing guidance from different philosophies of education, specifically in the student-centered
philosophies. I will make sure that my students voices, opinions, feeling and desires are
acknowledged, given consideration and validated. I will make sure that I get to know my
students and build up their strengths and help with their weaknesses.
The path to get my goal of having a strong relationship with my students and for their high
self-efficacy will be transitioning my classroom from a teacher centered approach to a student
centered approach. This means that in the beginning of the school year I will be consistently going
over the rules and procedures. The assignments will be given directly from me; class work will be
guided, and I will correct mistakes as much as possible. As soon as the students start to get used to
the routines and procedures, I will transition into using a student centered approach. Small group
work will be introduced, as well as more independent work for the students. The students will have
more time to communicate, and inquiry based learning will take place. Instead of correcting
mistakes, I will also make sure the students can understand what they are learning and explain what
they know about the material. Transitioning through these approaches will help me build a
relationship with the students and help to understand them academically as well.
My experience working with children diagnosed with Autism has instilled with in me a
love for special education students, teachers and paraprofessionals. I know that for my
classroom to work, the relationships with me and my students, my students relationships, and my
relationships with my coworkers have a profound effect on my students learning. The more you
know your students, the more you will be able to provide them with education that they deserve.
Differentiated instruction must be utilized and given to each student that needs it. Another gem
I have received from my current students is that routine and being prepared is mandatory for a
successful year. If you set up your classroom management for this and get your students in
routine in the beginning of the year, the rest should go more smoothly.
My teaching style will be the authoritative style. I will create a warm and caring environment
for my students while at the same time maintaining rules and procedures in my classroom. I will
have rules, expectations, consequences, incentives and procedures clearly explained, understood
and followed. I will encourage, support, and love my students. I also will remain firm on the
classroom rules and have no flexibility when it comes to my expectations. I will, however, make sure
that the classroom rules, expectations and procedures are practical and realistic. The classroom
rules, expectations and procedures are essential to promote a nice flow to the day, to promote
learning and create a warm and loving classroom environment. If work is assigned to my students
then all of my students will have that work finished. However, the work that I assign students will
meet each individual’s needs. It will be my job to make sure that the entire class can succeed within
my classroom at each of their individual levels. I will adapt and modify my classroom work to the
students’ needs and be flexible in my lessons so that they can learn and grow. My ultimate goal will
be to produce independent students with a high self-efficacy and also to maintain a strong
relationship with my students. A major component of each day will be to give out authentic
encouragement, support, and positive feedback. I will work hard to be an effective teacher and
create a successful classroom.
