Statement of Philosophy
My philosophy of education focuses on the building of community where both teacher and students work together with the common goal of learning. The environment in which we learn is crucial to whether or not we succeed. I believe that before any child can learn, he or she must feel safe within the classroom and school environments. As a teacher, I believe I must create a sense of security by building positive relationships with each of my students and by exemplifying good character as a positive role model.
As for my teaching, I like to use a number of approaches to meet the various needs of my students. Modeling concepts to students is important to me and often precedes guided practice. I believe the hands-on approach is the best as it allows students to explore concepts on their own. By integrating technology into my lessons, I can give students great opportunities for such exploration. Also, I believe that a student-centered environment can open the door to many great learning experiences. When students are allowed to work together, they are able to help one another in ways that a teacher may not know. I learned a great deal about social cognition in my graduate courses and through my own experiences with online courses, and I truly feel that learning is just as social as it is personal. I like to give my students chances to work together as teams because, in addition to learning content, students learn the importance of communication, collaboration, and responsibility.
Attitude is everything. I try to keep a positive attitude as a teacher and show my students that learning can be fun. When a teacher is excited to teach, students are more willing to learn. Therefore, I try to keep a light atmosphere and do think that a good sense of humor can enhance the learning experience. This ties in with the role that the classroom environment plays in learning. As long as students feel comfortable in my classroom and have a sense of belonging, we will work better together. At the same time, I want my students to know that I do have high expectations and will push them, as I care about them and want them to grow. Each and every student can learn, and I want to be a person in my students' lives who helps them to see that.