My personal philosophy of teaching is a focus on humanizing education. So often students are labeled based on their challenges or by a standard that has been imposed on them. Most education focuses on how the child conforms to their set of norms and celebrates success by giving a test score. My belief is that when personalized learning is humanized, we shift from test scores to storytelling. We showcase the child’s abilities and accomplishments while prioritizing a student’s social and emotional well-being.  This helps to truly nurture the student as a whole and instill them with a deeper love of learning that will stay with them even into adulthood. 

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I was born into a family of educators, but I did not really develop my personal view of education until after I had been teaching in the classroom for a few years. I came to the realization that the way I was educated and how I was instructed to teach only scratched the surface of learning.  As time went on, I realized that this style of education did not focus on giving children a deeper understanding of the material. When I learned to individualize how I was teaching based on the needs of the child, it opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of how I could challenge and engage my students. Changing my approach from teacher to student led learning made me realize that the emphasis needed to be on the process of learning instead of simply focusing on the result. Prioritizing connections enables students at all learning levels to access open-ended tasks and helps them to find entry points that correlate with their strengths. By switching to this teaching methodology, I have not only seen more success in the student’s overall learning, but it has also given them a newfound passion for complex, critical thinking and synthesis of new ideas. My students were no longer afraid of failing, but instead saw it as an opportunity to learn and grow based on their personal standards of success. 

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Witnessing the positive impact of the changes I implemented for my students sparked a desire in me to become a leader in the education field. Over the past few years, I have not only guided students to discover their unique definition of success but have also coached fellow educators to integrate the human aspect of education into their teaching practices. My ultimate aspiration as an educator is to transform the education system, with a focus on valuing each student's humanity. I aim to achieve this by seeking out opportunities that allow me to have a wider impact on education at a global level.