My Teaching

Philosophy

By

Natarsha Miller

WHY I TEACH?
My personality can be described with the following words: curios,
expressive, knowledge and solutions seeker, and a civic minded. Its only
natural that I would levitate towards careers that allowed me to combine
these passions. Both children and adults need help one way or another.
Being a media specialist is the platform that allows me to help as many
people as possible.
Through teaching, I am able to continue the pursuit of knowledge and of
being a lifelong learner. Teaching also allows me to continue be a strong
advocate of children and families. Incorporating activities in the media
center that engaged the whole family can connect parents, teachers, and
students. Furthermore, I believe helping people tap into their own potential
builds a better community.

WHAT DO I TEACH?
Developing lessons plans that integrate library skills in classroom
assignments is a strategy that benefits all school stakeholders. The
following is what I strive to incorporate in library activities.
AASL 21st century skills are at the heart of student learning. As the media specialist
my goal is to help students become proficient at accessing information, knowledgeable
about reliable sources, able to critically evaluate and create knowledge, and act and use
technology in an ethical manner.
GPS are the foundation of student learning in the state of Georgia. My goal as the
media specialist is to provide connections between the media program and the school
curriculum through collaboration, co-teaching, and professional development
opportunities.
Web 2.0 has propelled teaching and learning out of the classroom and into the virtual
cyberspace. Incorporating NETS

AASL

GPS

NETS

HOW DO I TEACH
As the media specialist, one of my main goals will be to work with teachers to extend
classroom learning in the media center. Below are some types of activities that could be
engaged in by students from classroom, media center, and at home.

Project Based Learning- hands on classroom projects that apply "real world"
scenarios. For example teaching economics (good and services)- 2nd grade students
create goods to be sold at a mock "book fair" in the media center and helping to
shelve returned books (providing a service)

Cooperative and Collaborative Learning- students work in teams to explore specified

standards to gain a better understanding. For Examples: 5th grade students work in
team to explore deconstructive and reconstructive forces of nature, present a model
of forces in Georgia

Service Learning-engaging students in service projects that demonstrate an idea such

as recycling, hunger/poverty, environmental and social issues, public health, etc. For
example, Students learn about hunger/poverty, plant and maintain an herb/salad
garden, and prepare food for local shelter.

FUTURE GOALS

My most immediate future goal is to return to college to pursue a

doctoral degree in school improvement with an area of concentration of
media specialist.
Secondly, my passion for storytelling will bode well in my future
pursuit to be a narrator. I believe that if you are going to tell a story, tell
it right and bring it to life.
Finally a long term goal of mine is to work at the Library of Congress in
Washington D.C. As I continue to build my skills professionally through
teaching and engaged in community, it is only fitting that when I
reinvent myself it will be at the national level.

QUOTES ABOUT NATARSHA

Proactive, takes initiative, self-starter, leader, confident Bertha NelsonPrincipal Belmont Hills
It is a mistaken idea that greatness and great success mean the same thing
~Anonymous- submitted by Marcia Webb-Hayes- Independent Consultant
The energizer bunny has nothing on you- always ready, eager, and willing to
do!!!.Melissa Weatherford-Science Labe Teacher
The world is not somewhere you live, it's somewhere you change.- Marlene
Reynolds, KITES, Inc.
"I am thankful to all of those who said NO to me. It's because of them I'm doing it myself."
Albert EinsteinSubmitted by Gigi Miller