My Philosophy

The number one priority in my future classroom is to set up students for success in both academic and social endeavors.  All students have different skill sets and come into the classroom at a variety of levels. It is my goal to ensure that I make course content accessible to all types of learners, build a strong relationship with every student that walks through my door and to make children excited about school.

Education should be inspiring. I want my students to come into my classroom excited about what they are going to learn that day. The best way to get students fired up about learning is to challenge them; there is no greater joy than achieving something you never imagined yourself capable of. Students need to be challenged at a level such that they receive pleasure from completing a task but do not feel overwhelmed by the prospect of starting it.

While I recognize that it is important for all learners to feel comfortable in my classroom, it also critical to expand their learning comfort zone. Students typically have a preferred mode learning whether it is auditory visual or kinesthetic. Teachers need to gain student's trust within their bubble of comfort and then challenge students to think in new ways. In other words, educators most help students expand their zone of proximal development. Introducing concepts in different modalities, increases the number of neural pathways to a given set of facts. The higher number of neural connections increases the chance the information can later be retrieved.

I also believe that it is crucial for all teachers to practice reflective teaching. Just as students are expected to challenge themselves to improve, teachers should regularly check in with themselves and strive to better their methods. Some tools to help educators do this include: keeping a teaching journal, reviewing and videotaping lessons and collaborating with peers. I believe that there is also something that an individual can improve upon and that I would't truly be doing my job if I fell into a comfort zone.