Teaching Philosophy
I believe to be a great teacher, I need to have a student-centered philosophy or progressivism approach to teaching. I believe as a teacher you should always be approachable and flexible. Your students should feel comfortable coming to you for help and know that you will help them with their problems. An effective teacher creates a community-like atmosphere in the classroom. This classroom is democratic where everyone participates and works together to solve problems. Students have a personal interest in the relationships, lessons, and assignments. I want my students to want to learn and get something out of every day of class.
I will incorporate different technologies into my classroom. I will use videos, slideshows, and materials off the Internet to make my lessons more interesting. I will encourage my students to be unique and take chances. My students will be taught all of the necessary requirements for their grade, but it will not be taught through scripted lessons. I believe students learn more from teachers who put themselves into the lessons and try hard to get their students to understand. I realize I will have problems with some students not willing to work hard in class, but I hope that is when the democratic community will help me. I want my students to be able to talk to me, but also to each other when they are having problems. I am not going to be a “push-over” teacher, but I want my students to feel like they can come to me for help. I also want them to be able to use their peers and resources to solve problems as well.
The content and methods I will be teaching will be focused around problem-solving. Problem-solving will not just apply to math and science. I want my students to have thorough knowledge and understanding of art, physical education, language, mathematics, science, and social studies. All of these subjects come with their own problems and I want my students to have open minds to all subjects. I want to be a meaningful and memorable teacher and I want to get through to my students. I realize that in any classroom, it will not always be fun for everyone. Many teachers try to teach their students to see the world as an adult, which should be the goal of your teaching, but not the only method. I believe that I can help my students all have fun if I connect with them and what is happening in their lives. My students will have a say in their views on the world, but they will also have my guidance to help them with the problems along the way.
My classroom assessments will consist of mostly formative assessments. I love exit tickets and the quick checks for understanding to give me feedback on my teaching. I want to teach my students to ask critical thinking questions and to challenge their peers to learn more than what they already know. My students will then learn from myself as well as each other by actively participating and being engaged in the whole and small group discussions. All students will hopefully be able to solve problems efficiently and have a new perspective to education after having me as a teacher.
I will incorporate different technologies into my classroom. I will use videos, slideshows, and materials off the Internet to make my lessons more interesting. I will encourage my students to be unique and take chances. My students will be taught all of the necessary requirements for their grade, but it will not be taught through scripted lessons. I believe students learn more from teachers who put themselves into the lessons and try hard to get their students to understand. I realize I will have problems with some students not willing to work hard in class, but I hope that is when the democratic community will help me. I want my students to be able to talk to me, but also to each other when they are having problems. I am not going to be a “push-over” teacher, but I want my students to feel like they can come to me for help. I also want them to be able to use their peers and resources to solve problems as well.
The content and methods I will be teaching will be focused around problem-solving. Problem-solving will not just apply to math and science. I want my students to have thorough knowledge and understanding of art, physical education, language, mathematics, science, and social studies. All of these subjects come with their own problems and I want my students to have open minds to all subjects. I want to be a meaningful and memorable teacher and I want to get through to my students. I realize that in any classroom, it will not always be fun for everyone. Many teachers try to teach their students to see the world as an adult, which should be the goal of your teaching, but not the only method. I believe that I can help my students all have fun if I connect with them and what is happening in their lives. My students will have a say in their views on the world, but they will also have my guidance to help them with the problems along the way.
My classroom assessments will consist of mostly formative assessments. I love exit tickets and the quick checks for understanding to give me feedback on my teaching. I want to teach my students to ask critical thinking questions and to challenge their peers to learn more than what they already know. My students will then learn from myself as well as each other by actively participating and being engaged in the whole and small group discussions. All students will hopefully be able to solve problems efficiently and have a new perspective to education after having me as a teacher.
Classroom Management Philosophy
My classroom management philosophy focuses around having my students be self-directed learners inside a safe class environment. My students know what my expectations are and I find that consistency is key when reinforcing necessary behaviors. I believe that it is important to front load students with expectations right away and as the school year progresses, there should be reminders of what behavior we are trying to instill in our learners. I model these expectations for my students, but eventually they take on a natural role of setting examples for each other. I am quick to point out students who are leading by example and it leads to a very productive and positive environment for my students.
I love when my students are self-directed enough that they hold each other accountable. I thank them throughout the week, for taking charge of their own learning. I float around the classroom all day long and a simple hand on a shoulder or a quick moment of eye contact, is much more beneficial to student learning than calling a student out in front of the whole class. In my classroom, I call on students to be my watchers. These watchers may be our leader on the carpet or out in the hallway. I let the watchers, at the end of a lesson or after we walk back from recess, tell the class who was making responsible choices and setting a great example for everyone. The watcher tells the class what this student(s) was doing and why that makes them deserving of being recognized. They use academic language and reinforce the positive behavior that we strive for.
I like to always make my students feel safe in my classroom where they are free to make mistakes, because we know that successes are soon to follow. My students know that everyone makes mistakes and that mistakes help us grow. I make a point to tell them some of my mistakes during a lesson, in order to teach them that I will learn from that mistake. I think it is important to be a constant example for your kids and demonstrate traits that you want them to learn as well. My students watch me almost as much as I watch them, so its important to take advantage of as many opportunities to instill positive character traits when the moment calls for it. Having students who learn the content is great, but I also work hard to make sure my students know what it takes to be a good person too. We read books, do activities, and I also just help model what good people do. We build each other up in my classroom. Kindness and mutual respect play a major role in our community. Admirable traits require constant work to maintain and it takes a few reminders, but again, I hold my students accountable for their own behavior to the point where they help remind each other more than I need to.
Students need to be reminded of how truly wonderful they are. As their teacher, I may be the most consistent person in their life. That puts me in a very powerful role to help them become the best learner and person that they can be. Reprimanding and creating a negative atmosphere is not going to lead to a successful classroom. By choosing kindness, my students know that they can come talk to me about anything. They know that I always have a hug or a high five ready and that a positive comment is always nearby.
My classroom management philosophy focuses around having my students be self-directed learners inside a safe class environment. My students know what my expectations are and I find that consistency is key when reinforcing necessary behaviors. I believe that it is important to front load students with expectations right away and as the school year progresses, there should be reminders of what behavior we are trying to instill in our learners. I model these expectations for my students, but eventually they take on a natural role of setting examples for each other. I am quick to point out students who are leading by example and it leads to a very productive and positive environment for my students.
I love when my students are self-directed enough that they hold each other accountable. I thank them throughout the week, for taking charge of their own learning. I float around the classroom all day long and a simple hand on a shoulder or a quick moment of eye contact, is much more beneficial to student learning than calling a student out in front of the whole class. In my classroom, I call on students to be my watchers. These watchers may be our leader on the carpet or out in the hallway. I let the watchers, at the end of a lesson or after we walk back from recess, tell the class who was making responsible choices and setting a great example for everyone. The watcher tells the class what this student(s) was doing and why that makes them deserving of being recognized. They use academic language and reinforce the positive behavior that we strive for.
I like to always make my students feel safe in my classroom where they are free to make mistakes, because we know that successes are soon to follow. My students know that everyone makes mistakes and that mistakes help us grow. I make a point to tell them some of my mistakes during a lesson, in order to teach them that I will learn from that mistake. I think it is important to be a constant example for your kids and demonstrate traits that you want them to learn as well. My students watch me almost as much as I watch them, so its important to take advantage of as many opportunities to instill positive character traits when the moment calls for it. Having students who learn the content is great, but I also work hard to make sure my students know what it takes to be a good person too. We read books, do activities, and I also just help model what good people do. We build each other up in my classroom. Kindness and mutual respect play a major role in our community. Admirable traits require constant work to maintain and it takes a few reminders, but again, I hold my students accountable for their own behavior to the point where they help remind each other more than I need to.
Students need to be reminded of how truly wonderful they are. As their teacher, I may be the most consistent person in their life. That puts me in a very powerful role to help them become the best learner and person that they can be. Reprimanding and creating a negative atmosphere is not going to lead to a successful classroom. By choosing kindness, my students know that they can come talk to me about anything. They know that I always have a hug or a high five ready and that a positive comment is always nearby.