My Teaching Philosophy

I believe that every child has the potential to bring something unique and extraordinary to the classroom and to the world. Each classroom presents a unique community of learners that varies not only in abilities, but also in learning styles, personalities, and pizazz. My role as a teacher is to give children the tools with which to cultivate their own conclusions about their thinking and metacognitive analysis. To accomplish this goal, I teach to the needs of each child so that all learners can feel capable and successful. I present curriculum that involves differentiated instruction as well as the interests of the children that will make learning relevant to their lives outside of school. I incorporate themes, cross curricular units, projects, group work, individual work, and hands-on learning in order to make children active learners. My students are encouraged to learn by interacting with one another as well. This develops social virtues such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view. In addition, students solve problems in the classroom similar to those they encounter outside of school, which provides them with the tools they need to become flexible problem solvers in preparation for being active members of society in their adult lives. I believe that effectively managing a classroom begins by creating a safe and caring environment where each child can blossom. I live and teach by the idea that optimism and encouragement are essential in providing a captivating environment where children want to come to learn, create relationships, and have valuable experiences each day. When a teacher stays positive, the students are also encouraged to work through their problems and persevere. Engaging students in developmentally appropriate and meaningful tasks is just one of the steps in effectively managing a classroom. As a teacher, I make it a priority to know my students in and out, including their culture , knowledge base and pre and post test data. By being familiar with these categories of child knowledge I am able to create developmentally appropriate and engaging lessons. This keeps each student challenged, but not frustrated, and helps push students thinking to the next level. I believe that a teacher is always a student. In our society, things are ever- changing and adapting; therefore, I believe that it is my responsibly as a teacher to consider learning as a lifelong process. To accomplish this goal, I plan on continuing my education through professional development, attending conferences to learn about new philosophies and strategies, reading articles, talking with colleagues, and researching and experimenting with new technologies. I also plan on learning from the parents of my students and community where my school is located. Most importantly, I want to learn from the students in my classroom. Already, children have taught me to open my mind and my heart to the joys, the innocence, and the diversity of ideas. Because I seek out to further my knowledge I am able to better serve my students and their evolving needs.