My Educational Philosophy
Why I Teach
No matter a student’s background, where they come from, what language they speak or how much money their parents make, they deserve the best education available. A good education gives students access to opportunities and provides intellectual and emotional support. My role as an educator is to maximize the learning opportunity for each of my students by building a caring and engaging classroom and to constantly strive to perfect my craft as a teacher. On a personal level, at every turning point of my academic and professional career, a constant source of support has always been a teacher. As Michelle Obama finely stated, "when you've worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity...you do not slam it shut behind you...you reach back, and you give other folks the same changes that helped you succeed." I hope to give my students the same enjoyment for learning and support that many teachers and professors have given me.
How I Teach
Upside Down Teaching - Art sculpture presented at the final Arts Methods class (April 2014).
Each student is a unique individual who brings to the classroom varying skills and knowledge. As a teacher, my role is to create a curriculum that builds upon my students' individual differences and honoring the knowledge that they bring to the classroom. I believe that equally important to a strong curriculum is a learning environment that values risk taking and learning through discovery. One way I would like to promote learning through trial and error is through project based learning. A project can be defined as having an end goal with plan to achieve the goal. However, my hope is that for my students to see that there is more than one way to achieve a goal and that failed attempts are learning opportunities and not losses. Another approach I would like to practice is to adopt a teaching style that allows my students to learn through discovery. For example, my previous 3rd grade students learned about the inner workings of compost by creating our own classroom compost jars. Through this unit, my students made weekly observation of the compost jars but also discussed reasons that could explain their own observations. We spent weeks observing the changing products in the jar and finding ways to make sense of the changes. My role through their learning process was to guide them in creating testable answers and supporting them key information when needed. Through discovery students have ownership of their learning, which ultimately deepens their learning and builds respect and enjoyment for the learning process.
Each student is a unique individual who brings to the classroom varying skills and knowledge. As a teacher, my role is to create a curriculum that builds upon my students' individual differences and honoring the knowledge that they bring to the classroom. I believe that equally important to a strong curriculum is a learning environment that values risk taking and learning through discovery. One way I would like to promote learning through trial and error is through project based learning. A project can be defined as having an end goal with plan to achieve the goal. However, my hope is that for my students to see that there is more than one way to achieve a goal and that failed attempts are learning opportunities and not losses. Another approach I would like to practice is to adopt a teaching style that allows my students to learn through discovery. For example, my previous 3rd grade students learned about the inner workings of compost by creating our own classroom compost jars. Through this unit, my students made weekly observation of the compost jars but also discussed reasons that could explain their own observations. We spent weeks observing the changing products in the jar and finding ways to make sense of the changes. My role through their learning process was to guide them in creating testable answers and supporting them key information when needed. Through discovery students have ownership of their learning, which ultimately deepens their learning and builds respect and enjoyment for the learning process.
Where I Teach
As a teacher, my undertaking is to also guide my students in developing their understanding and appreciation for diversity. One way I would like achieve this environment is to create a classroom where students lead class discussions. Through a student-lead environment, students will develop active listening skills that will allow them to genuinely hear the thoughts and ideas of their peers. Student-lead discussions will also teach my students how to respectfully disagree with others through conversation. Learning how to take the perspective of others and to compare and contrast it with their one view is a powerful tool in teaching students to value diversity. I also hope to facilitate class discussions on social issues such as gender equality. While topics on social issues are sensitive, I hope to provide a common background for my students through literature. For example, one topic I would like to explore with my students is the relationship between female students and enjoying math and science. I want to also model equity for my students by using logical consequences and conferencing as my approach to classroom management and discipline. Students view adults as models for their own behavior and if I want my students to practice fair and impartial behaviors with each other I need to practice them myself. By creating a classroom environment that sets high expectations for respect for peers and differences, I hope my students will also find respect for themselves.
Reminders From Former Students That A Teacher's Effect Is Far-Reaching
Obama, M. 2012, September 12. Democratic national convention speech. National Public Radio. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2012/09/04/160578836/transcript-michelle-obamas-convention-speech