Educational Philosophy
Despite a lot of encouragement from friends and family, I waited until I felt I was ready to teach to begin the process. I knew that this profession came with a great deal of responsibility, and I did not take it lightly. As an educator, it is my responsibility to provide students with a safe, collaborative, and successful learning environment. At the beginning of each school year, I plan to build a strong rapport with my students by letting them know that I am interested in learning about them and with them. As teachers, we have to set high expectations and model how we would like for our students to perform. When students enter my classroom, I want them to be excited and eager to learn. When they leave my classroom, I want them to anticipate what we will be doing next. Educational Vision My vision is cultivating inquisitive, well-informed, and confident young people that can enter any environment and apply what they have learned with conviction and enthusiasm. A positive and intellectually engaging classroom can inspire a sense of belonging, identity, ownership, and choice in students. My classroom will support collaborative learning, but it will also be able to transition based on specific learning goals. Desks will be purposefully arranged so students can easily be grouped in pairs or quads for discussion. Ideally, there will be a quiet corner for struggling students. My room will be filled with books and materials, but it will not be cluttered. All space will be maximized without being overwhelming. Lesson Plan Philosophy My focus is creating lessons that are meaningful and well-presented by using instructional methods that appeal to every student in my classroom. Students have to be motivated and inspired to learn. Relevance will lead to inspiration. Inspiration will lead to confidence. Once the student is confident, they will endeavor to assertively apply what they have learned in any room. Behavior Management Philosophy Each student is responsible for their own behavior. However, it is the teacher’s responsibility to manage that behavior in the classroom with positivity, guided choices, and self-reflection. Students in my classroom are expected to be respectful, responsible, and ready to learn each day. Likewise, I will build relationships with my students that include respect, understanding, and tolerance. Assessment Philosophy Assessment is an integral part of effective instruction. Using a variety of assessment measures helps teachers implement meaningful instruction and helps students understand their learning needs. I will use a combination of formative and summative assessments to monitor progress and set learning goals. During all of my classes, I will informally assess my students during class discussions and group activities. In addition, I will use data gained from all assessments to fine tune my instructional methods. Communication Philosophy Parents and students can contact me anytime with any questions or concerns. I will respond to inquiries within 24 hours and will schedule calls or conferences as needed. However, my goal is to answer questions before they are asked. I will keep parents and students well-informed to eliminate surprises. |