I am sure that my philosophy of education will be always evolving as I gain more incite and experience into the world of education, but these are my thoughts as of now.
I would like my classroom to be a place where the children feel nurtured and place that they feel they can express their ideas. I would like to create a homey environment where they feel safe. I liked the Waldorf schoolrooms. I do not really like those posters that all the teachers put in their rooms with motivational sayings: I think that they make it feel too much like a factory where they have to produce. I would rather put up the kids artwork and poems. I would put plants around the room and the kids would have the responsibility of watering them. The walls would be bright colors and if I have any control, I would like lots of windows. I would move the desks in the classroom moved around every so often depending on what we are doing. When we have long-term group projects I would put the desks in groups, and if for the time we were doing a lot of work in the front of the class the desks would be in a "U" shape, and so on. .
As for the classroom rules I would like the class to help make them, because if they help make them then they cannot say that they are unfair later on. I plan to use positive reinforcement in most cases, but sometimes assertive discipline is necessary. I do believe in what the speaker the other day was saying about how should only send especially important cases to the principal. I think that if every time a child acts up you send them to the principal's office it undermines your authority and shows that you cannot handle tough situations. .
I think that it is very important to use all different types of teaching styles. Kids learn in all different ways and if you mix it up then they can learn in ways they are comfortable and they can try new ways. I would include cooperative and independent learning, using the scientific method and hands on projects.