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CREATING LIFE LONG LEARNERS

My Teaching Philosophy

~ Amanda Maye ~
An educator takes on several roles within a school, classroom and community. It is their responsibility to ensure these are positive roles the community around them can adapt and understand. Teaching does not simply stop in the classroom; it is critical to influence students to become life-long learners and build strong relationships not only with the students, but families as well. By creating a positive environment, students can more readily achieve goals and blossom into successful and responsible adults. It is through a teachers nurturing and positivity toward learning that encourages students to continue to combine their knowledge and skills to think creatively and critically. A teacher's purpose is not to create students in their own image, but to develop students who can create their own image (Author Unknown). Some students see school as boring, while others enjoy every second and more. Education is an essential part of the development of a child from the time they begin kindergarten to their graduation date in high school. It is the teachers responsibility to aid the students development through various teaching methods including multiple intelligences and differentiation. The role of education is to set a students mind up for success and not failure. In order for students to see education in this manner, it is important for teachers to positively establish their expectations and routines at the beginning of the school year, helping students with the next step in development to become proactive learners. In order to help students in their development, I think it is very effective if a teacher is nurturing and forms strong relationships with their students. Not only does this create trust between yourself and your students, it also allows you to understand the different ways that your students can view you as a role model. With this being said, it is important to establish yourself first as being their teacher, and secondly as someone they can confide in. The role of the teacher in the classroom is to create a positive and inviting environment where students can actively learn and begin to establish and achieve their goals. It is the educators responsibility to congratulate and encourage mistakes helping the creation of a positive teaching environment and showing students that in order to succeed, it is important to learn from our previous mistakes. When teaching a class, understanding the different ways that students can learn is crucial. It is important to incorporate different learning strategies within lesson and unit plans, ensuring every child has an opportunity to grasp the concepts that are being taught. My class will be conducted in a student-based manner. I will be there to provide guidance and concrete answers to questions, but I want my students to become authentic learners and to be interested, enthusiastic and passionate about learning. I believe students create a more concrete understanding of topics and content by using problem-solving strategies and working together collaboratively. Teachers also need to be certain that their students comprehend the links between the amounts of effort a student puts into their work, and how this results their total outcome. Assessing students is a significant part of being a teacher and I will be using all three forms of

2 assessment in my classroom. Assessment for learning and assessment as learning are comparative ways a teacher can assess in an ongoing manner. It allows the students to assess themselves as well as their classmates. This is a helpful way to get students to become more aware of their goals and achievements because it is their peers who will be critiquing their work not only their teacher. Because I will be using this form of assessment, it is also important for me to establish the expectations of peer assessment (reminding students of the positive environment as well as positive feedback). Assessment as learning covers the summative from of assessment, which is the more traditional way of grading. In order to keep a well-balanced classroom, this way of assessment is also essential through testing and individual projects. When collaborating with your students, including parents and guardians is an important aspect of being a teacher and being part of a community. I will always be open to talking with families while maintaining an open and positive mindset. It is beneficial to both parents and students to have updates from their childs teacher and allow families to contribute their own thoughts and ideas that could be incorporated in the classroom. I will always be willing to hear new suggestions, act on constructive criticism and address any thoughts and concerns families may have. Combining all of these elements of being a teacher comes down to classroom management and demonstrating how prepared and organized an educator is. When role modeling organization and punctuality, students will adapt the habit. Not only does this aid in the atmosphere and flow of your classroom, but also helps the students become life-longer learners. Demonstrating these essential life skills contributes to the success of our students. When a classroom is managed correctly it allows students to have: choice, develop the skills to become proactive learners, be authentic learners and to develop enthusiastic and positive views towards learning. When demonstrating all of these essential components and elements in a classroom, we are able to create life-long learners. Our job is not just to teach the outcomes of the curriculum, but to also guide students with their development as a person. Creating strong bonds with your students, parents and guardians is an important quality to have as it creates trust. Not only do we show our passion for teaching and learning, we also influence our students to create their own image from the vague lines we develop for them as educators.