Professional Philosophy Statement
My personal beliefs and values about early childhood education have changed over the years,
since I first entered the field. Now that I am a seasoned teacher, I feel that I can give an answer
that reflects a more mature teacher who understands the field. I truly believe with all my heart
that children learn best through joyful play. I believe they learn best when they feel safe and
loved, and when they know that they are free to explore their world. I think that the most
important thing that I can do as an early childhood educator is form a bond with the child, so that
they feel safe at school and know that they can trust me: so, that they feel confident enough to
learn effectively. This will make the family feel comfortable leaving their child with me, which
will make the whole communication process a lot easier.
I believe that the teacher is merely a vessel in which to plan the activities and facilitate the
learning. I believe the children will learn best from experimentation and from each other. My
role is not to correct the children or guide them to a result but to ask open ended questions to get
them to wherever they end up. Learning is most effective when it follows the children’s interest,
not the teachers. I believe that all children will see things differently and they are all individuals
and should be treated as such.
I also believe that it is my role as an early childhood educator to teach my students to learn to
manage and recognize their big emotions whenever the opportunity arises. This should be done
in a way that is free of judgement, so they know that everyone has these emotions, and it is ok to
have them and feel them, but there are appropriate ways to handle them. Children should not get
in trouble for merely having a feeling, even adults struggle to manage their emotions sometimes.
In conclusion, it is my belief that children need to feel safe and loved to learn effectively. If they
feel overwhelmed, scared, or like they will be yelled at constantly then they will not be able to
learn. In addition to this, it is important to gain the trust of not only the child, but the family as
well. It is an educator’s role, to ensure that the students in her care are also receiving a social-
emotional education, this is extremely important for success later in life. I also believe
wholeheartedly that children learn the best through play, experimentation, talking with each
other, following their interests, and sensory experiences.
