Philosophy of TeachingInstilling Confidence As an educator, my ultimate goal is to build confidence in students. I not only want to provide students with important knowledge, but I want to give them hope. I want students, whether they are struggling or excelling, to know that they can achieve anything that they set their minds to and that everyone, no mater what circumstances may arise, is able to learn. All students have the ability to gain and retain knowledge, and I plan to assure students that this is absolutely true. By adjusting lessons to cater to a variety of learning modalities and multiple intelligences, each individual student will be able to reach, and hopefully surpass their potential, thus gaining confidence in their ability to learn and succeed in an educational environment. Promoting diversity In order to create a learning environment in which the students feel safe and secure, I aim to promote diversity within the classroom. No two students are alike, and this is an important concept for the students to grasp. I teach my students that judging others based off of disparities is inappropriate, since everyone is unique and different in their own way. I strive to create an accepting environment in which the students respect one another and are open-minded to others who may be different than they are. I make it a point to tell students that if everyone in the classroom were the same, there would be a lack of learning. Students learn from each other, and the surplus of differences creates an enriching environment where everyone’s ideas and unique experiences are appreciated and valued. Sharpening critical thinking skills I believe that teaching students how to think critically about the information that they are learning is extremely crucial. Having students simply memorize and recite facts and definitions is unnecessary, and is doing more harm than good. Students must fully submerge themselves into the information they are being taught instead of simply skimming the surface. It is my objective to teach students how to analyze, evaluate and create, rather than just remember and recite. The top three tiers of Bloom’s Taxonomy are my focus, and I teach students that critical thinking will not only sharpen their reasoning skills in the classroom, but will prepare them for tackling difficult questions that may appear later in life. Critical thinking is not only a school skill, but also a life skill. Making learning memorable I believe that active engagement and interactive instruction is the key to a successful learning environment. In terms of education, I live by the quote “Hands-on, Minds on.” It is absolutely necessary to create captivating, engaging, hands-on lessons that grasp the students’ attention and inspire them to seek knowledge. If students are uninterested and inattentive, they will not learn. However, if they are engaged and excited, they will acquire an outstanding amount of information that will follow them throughout their many years of schooling. Creating a relaxed environment The school day can be very stressful for most individuals, and students are being diagnosed with anxiety at an alarming rate due to this constant stress. I truly believe that school should not be stressful, but rather a time to relax the body and invigorate the mind. The stress that wreaks havoc on students' bodies can be diminished with frequent brain breaks and even yoga. I believe that introducing yoga into the classroom provides students with the opportunity to open their minds up to new knowledge, and can teach students how to calm their body and mind. |
Two of my 1st grade ELL students observing snails and guppies in science! They were so engaged and gained a new fascination with magnifying glasses.My students' favorite lesson that I created! They were expected to use directional terms such as right, left, up, down, far, and near while walking from one place on the map to another. The favorite destination was the Police Station and McDonalds. I made the map using Sharpie markers and a plain white shower curtain from the Dollar Store!
Here are the students performing The Three Billy Goats Gruff Reader's Theater. This was certainly a fan favorite!
I implemented the program Yoga 4 Classrooms into my 1st grade classroom while student teaching, and it was extremely effective. The students loved it, and it helped them calm down and regain focus, especially after a hour of math! Click on the button above to view the Yoga 4 Classrooms website.
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