Philosophy Of Teaching

What I Believe:

Teaching encompasses many different skills: educating, motivating, coaching, mediating, encouraging, analyzing, assessing, and many more. In addition to all of these components, because teaching is not a “one-size-fits-all” activity, a teacher must work to apply all of these elements to a classroom of students with a wide array of varying and evolving needs.

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What Makes An Effective Teacher:

An effective teacher is one who creates a classroom environment in which every student has the opportunity to succeed. To do this, a classroom management plan should be developed and well communicated to the class, so that students understand what expectations the teacher has of them and what consequences exist if rules are not followed. The teacher should model the expected classroom behavior, holding the students to the same high expectations that she has for herself, and should deliver consequences consistently. The environment should be one in which all students learn to respect one another and their teachers. Creating a classroom that fosters respect will put students at ease and make it more likely for students to feel comfortable participating. Carefully planned lessons are also a critical piece in becoming an effective teacher. To ensure all of the students are benefiting from the lessons, a teacher should develop lessons that look to differentiate both the content and assessment so that every student is being challenged at his level. Effective teachers also need to ensure assessment is being used to direct instruction and progress monitor students towards reaching their individual goals.

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Why Learning Should Be Interesting & Exciting:

In a time when attention spans are shortening, teachers need to work to keep students engaged and interested in learning. To work towards this, teachers should move away from the model of teacher directed lessons and move towards lessons that encourage active student participation—self-discovery exercises, partner work, and group work. Teachers should also address the different learning styles of the class by giving students options that meet their preferred learning styles. Utilizing the Orton Gillingham approach, students are provided a multi-sensory experience when learning to read. In being creative with assignments and lessons and in developing a positive classroom environment, students are set up to succeed and to develop a love of learning.

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Why I Love Teaching:

Home Depot had an old slogan, "You can do it, we can help!"  This slogan is always in the back of my mind when teaching. Above all I want my students to believe in themselves and become independent thinkers and problem solvers. I want to help guide them to developing the confidence that they can do anything they set their mind on. When teaching reading, there is nothing more rewarding than helping a reluctant reader find his/her confidence and learn to love reading.  I believe if I focus on my main “clients”—my students—through implementing structure, active and engaging lessons, and encouraging independence, all students will be able to grow and thrive. 

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