Jenny McKenzie
My Personal Philosophy of Education
My personal philosophy of education is to teach to create lifelong learners.
I strive to prepare my students to be successful in the real world. Education provides the opportunity for one to be anything they want to be. Students need to be exposed to the problems and introduced to the skills used to solve real world problems. Teaching my students these skills gives them the ability to relate to the real world. My students learn many things that they are able to apply to their everyday lives.
As an educator I teach my students how to function in the real world. I help determine the future, by teaching the future. I teach life skills so that when students go out into the world they are capable of making informed decisions. I not only teach, but also nurture my students. We know that one student will become president, we just don’t know which one that will be, and so I teach all of them as though they are all going to be the next President of the United States.
I know as a teacher that all students can learn; however they learn differently. I just have to discover which way is best for each of my students.
Learning styles will vary from student to student and class to class. Some students are auditory learners, some are visual learners, and some are kinetic learners. I include strategies for all these things to be used when I am planning my lessons.
I observe and administer formal assessments throughout the year to help plan effective strategies for individual instruction.
I have learned so much in the last year and a half in my Master’s program. I have taught regular education for 16 years and decided to return to school to get my Master’s in Collaborative Teacher K-6. My philosophy is that every child can learn and that includes special needs students. I believe that every child can learn in their own way. Through the classes I have taken I have learned that children with disabilities have a right to learn like their peers. It is my passion to help students with special needs succeed. So many students with special needs have fallen through the creaks and I want to be the filler of these creaks. ALL students deserve the best education possible and that is why after 16 years of teaching I have decided to get my Master’s in Collaborative Teacher K-6. I can make a difference. I was one of these students when I was in school and I want to provide an education like I was provided so these students can succeed like me. I have a
Bachelor’s degree and soon will have a Master’s degree. Anything is possible for these students.

My goal for my students is to create in them a love for learning. I provide a sound and solid foundation on which they can build. I teach the standards to mastery. I provide a safe and fun environment for the students. I want and expect my student to be able to work independently and cooperatively, as they will in the real world.
I know that it takes everyone to create students who are lifelong learners. I have heard many times “It takes a village to raise a child”. This is so true! It takes support of all stakeholders to create a positive learning and growing environment where students feel free to question, take risk, and succeed. I am a lifelong learner; I actively practice and model what I teach my students. I saw this saying once “if we don’t model what we teach then we are teaching something else.” As a teacher, I make a positive difference in the lives of the students whom I am fortunate enough to teach.