Teaching Philosophy
“Education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire.” William Butler Yeats
As an educator of many grades and subjects, I believe that all students are capable of learning. Regardless of the subject matter or grade level, some aspects of teaching and learning are applicable to all ages.
· The content and presentation of lessons should reflect the ever-changing needs of the students. I believe teachers need to constantly revamp their methods of teaching. The classroom population and environment is forever changing. Each student enters the classroom with their own prior knowledge, mindset, circumstances and experiences. I spend time getting to know my students, discovering what they already know about a subject, indentifying any misconceptions they already have. I take into consideration their interests and backgrounds and mold them into my lessons.
· I believe that teachers should conduct their own research to shape their own personal development.Whether the research is formal or informal, qualitative or quantitative, educators have a responsibility to stay current on the subjects they teach and their pedagogical approaches for communicating with their students. I open myself to new approaches such as blogging as a medium for classroom dialogue, and trying new methods of discourse in my classroom such as the multigenre research project. I look to the experts such as Nancie Atwell, Donald Graves, Vicki Spandel and Carol Jago. I listen, and incorporate their findings into my repertoire while putting my own theories into practice.
· The classroom is a learning environment. Teachers need to set the tone for the classroom, making it a place where students can enter with an open mind and shed their fear of taking a risk. The teacher should enter the classroom in the same manner and remember that there is much to be learned from the students as well.
· Teachers should be open to pulling content from a wide variety of sources. Textbooks have a solid foundation, but students need to be immersed in a variety of sources in order to create knowledge and meaning. Students can learn from technological media and inquiry research. They can participate in collaborative, constructivist learning and tap into the knowledge of their classmates, participate in service learning, or interview people as primary sources. Many possibilities exist. Teachers should help their students to realize the outside influences that exist as possible sources for learning.
· Students should have choice in their learning. Motivation is directly correlated to choice. When students are presented with options, they have the opportunity to connect with their own learning. My students have choice in every assignment ranging from topic selection to genre selection. When students have the freedom to choose they have the foundation in place to become passionate about their learning. Likewise, when students have the power to choose, they can unleash the writer within.
· Students sort, organize and access information based on their own experiences and prior knowledge. I believe teachers can present material, but it is the students who create meaning. As students learn, they file information into their own schematic filing system inside their brains. It is the teacher’s responsibility to acknowledge this and help the students make meaningful connections.
For a document version, please click here.
As an educator of many grades and subjects, I believe that all students are capable of learning. Regardless of the subject matter or grade level, some aspects of teaching and learning are applicable to all ages.
· The content and presentation of lessons should reflect the ever-changing needs of the students. I believe teachers need to constantly revamp their methods of teaching. The classroom population and environment is forever changing. Each student enters the classroom with their own prior knowledge, mindset, circumstances and experiences. I spend time getting to know my students, discovering what they already know about a subject, indentifying any misconceptions they already have. I take into consideration their interests and backgrounds and mold them into my lessons.
· I believe that teachers should conduct their own research to shape their own personal development.Whether the research is formal or informal, qualitative or quantitative, educators have a responsibility to stay current on the subjects they teach and their pedagogical approaches for communicating with their students. I open myself to new approaches such as blogging as a medium for classroom dialogue, and trying new methods of discourse in my classroom such as the multigenre research project. I look to the experts such as Nancie Atwell, Donald Graves, Vicki Spandel and Carol Jago. I listen, and incorporate their findings into my repertoire while putting my own theories into practice.
· The classroom is a learning environment. Teachers need to set the tone for the classroom, making it a place where students can enter with an open mind and shed their fear of taking a risk. The teacher should enter the classroom in the same manner and remember that there is much to be learned from the students as well.
· Teachers should be open to pulling content from a wide variety of sources. Textbooks have a solid foundation, but students need to be immersed in a variety of sources in order to create knowledge and meaning. Students can learn from technological media and inquiry research. They can participate in collaborative, constructivist learning and tap into the knowledge of their classmates, participate in service learning, or interview people as primary sources. Many possibilities exist. Teachers should help their students to realize the outside influences that exist as possible sources for learning.
· Students should have choice in their learning. Motivation is directly correlated to choice. When students are presented with options, they have the opportunity to connect with their own learning. My students have choice in every assignment ranging from topic selection to genre selection. When students have the freedom to choose they have the foundation in place to become passionate about their learning. Likewise, when students have the power to choose, they can unleash the writer within.
· Students sort, organize and access information based on their own experiences and prior knowledge. I believe teachers can present material, but it is the students who create meaning. As students learn, they file information into their own schematic filing system inside their brains. It is the teacher’s responsibility to acknowledge this and help the students make meaningful connections.
For a document version, please click here.