My teaching philosophy and beliefs have changed through the different stages of my career--starting from when I entered my teaching preparation program to this very day. Just like the "before" cabinet, I was "raw" with no real and clear direction in my first year in the profession. Gradually, the everyday experience in the classroom shaped my teaching philosophy. I intentionally used the word "philosophy" because it is what it is--an investigation of the principle I have come to know in college. Though I was growing as a teacher, my limited experience back in 2001 led me to philosophize my role in education. With more experience under my belt, I was able to move from philosophy to beliefs. From theory-base, principle-grounded ideals to a working belief system that is fully supported by what I have come to learn and understand about the nature of teaching. I have included some excerpts from the educational philosophy I conceptualized back in 2002 as part of my graduate school application along with some points on the document I submitted to George Mason that delves on the importance of experience as we grow in the teaching profession: "Knowing 'who are responsible for their education' will set us to work harder in delivering to them the best instruction we have learned and mastered through growth with experience, exposure, wisdom, maturation, and understanding of the students' nature, ability, differences, and strengths. We recognize them as individuals who need us to guide them to truth, to achieve their full potentials, and to develop their own personhood. We are the agents who will mobilize their minds to generate the information they need to succeed" ~2002 Educational Philosophy Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines "There has been a great shift in education because of the influx of immigrants who brought with them a culture and a language that needs to be acknowledged and accommodated. I feel that I can contribute in addressing this need. Armed with a better understanding...to design lessons and chose assessment tools that meet the individual needs of students" ~2010 Goal Statement George Mason University Reflecting on these two documents I have written years apart, I can see the emergence of a clearer body of beliefs. Building on the philosophy I have come to live by and improving on it as more years of teaching and more interactions with both students and other teaching professionals contributed to my own paradigm shift, my teacher beliefs have matured in many levels. 
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