6 Introduction

Pre-service teachers require a strong foundation that includes an understanding of the student’s motivation for becoming a teacher, reflection on the ethics of an educator, awareness of and identification of their philosophies of education, and an understanding of twenty-first-century skills and literacies. Also, pre-service teachers need to know the fundamentals of what being a teacher involves, the licensure process to follow which leads to becoming a teacher, the standards bodies which exist for content areas, and how to communicate effectively with students, parents, administrators, and other stakeholders in the community. 

This chapter, will explore your motivation for teaching and reflect upon those educators who impacted you. As you reflect on the experiences that these educators provided to you, your own preferences in teaching and learning will come to the forefront, allowing you to explore and identify your teaching and learning philosophy. A teaching philosophy is like a lighthouse; when questions of effectiveness arise, a teacher’s philosophy guides appropriate educational actions. While your philosophy will likely evolve and change as your teaching expertise and confidence develop, the initial philosophy will provide a foundation to build upon. You will also learn about twenty-first-century skills and literacies that meet the needs of a quickly evolving economy and therefore are changing teaching approaches. You will understand the importance of integrating teacher content knowledge and teacher pedagogical knowledge. The development of each of these forms of knowledge shapes your performance as a teacher. Finally, within the content and pedagogical knowledge, you will gain awareness of focal points which shape your identity as a teacher.