Teaching Philosophy

It is my job to provide students with a safe environment in which each

individuals unique personality can contribute to the learning experience. Students
should be engaged in a stimulating atmosphere that allows them to grow and
develop as learners and individuals. I believe students should be given equal
opportunities, regardless of abilities or disabilities, in order to succeed. I will strive
to identify every students strengths and weaknesses while in my classroom. Once
these have been distinguished, I will challenge students strengths and assist them
with their weaknesses. While a member of my classroom, each student will feel
valued and as a member of a learning community that depends on each other, rather
than just classmates. It is my responsibility to get to know each individual student
in order to differentiate my lessons to meet their needs for success. Whether whole-
group, small-group, learning centers, or one-on-one, I will differentiate to
accommodate my students.
I believe students should be active learners; therefore, students will not only
be listening and observing, but they will also be doing. I believe in using hands-on
experiences to build students tacit knowledge. When teaching, I will relate all
material to real-world scenarios in order for students to make personal connections
with the topic. Students should be engaged in critical-thinking and problem-solving
activities that incorporate various content areas and exploration. Throughout the
learning process, students will gain skills, tools, and knowledge that can be
incorporated in every content area and assist in learning new material.
I believe parents play a major role in the learning community. I will strive to
keep parents informed of activities and lessons that will be occurring in the
classroom. But most importantly, I will strive to build positive relationships with
parents. In order to achieve this, I will not only contact parents of issues or negative
behavior that occurs, but I will contact parents when their child has succeeded, met
a goal, or done something positive in the classroom. Parents should be continuously
informed of their childs progress, this will occur via email, phone calls, and
meetings.
 Lastly, I believe the most important aspect of having a successful classroom is
to build positive relationships with each and every student. Students are individuals
who require nurture, care, and encouragement. I will do this by being active in
discussing their extra curricular activities or attending their games, recitals or
concerts. This not only influences their academic performance within the
classroom, but also social development with teachers and peers. Positive student-
teacher relationships draw students into the learning process and stimulate their
desire to learn.