Philosophy of Education and Classroom Management
My beliefs about classroom management are dependent on the age of the students but are centered on a core belief that all children are unique, valuable, and deserving of patience, respect, and love. To this end I prefer to develop a classroom that is as student-centered as possible. I believe it is important to set aside time to encourage student-centered activities, to implement democratic classroom management strategies, and to model empathetic emotional awareness. I believe that using hands-on, cross-curricular lessons in tandem with multiple forms of expressed learning (Universal Designs for Learning assessment tactics) engage diverse arrays of learning modalities and propagate the greatest amount of learning for the greatest number of students. I also believe in engaging students in diverse civic opportunities to develop strong community devotion and positive community relationships inside and outside of the classroom.
I am also dedicated to the use of data to inform my instruction. I enjoy creating assessment tools that measure the effectiveness of my lessons, instruction methods, and student learning so I can strive for continual improvement. I enjoy attending academic conferences, sitting on curriculum development teams, assessment boards, and utilizing new strategies to keep my instruction engaging, effective, and relevant. I regularly go out of my way to invite colleagues and supervisors into my classroom so I can receive both formal and informal feedback regarding my strategies and teaching techniques. I am also dedicated to the use of technology and art as learning tools and strive to incorporate as much of both into my instructions, activities, and assessments as possible.
I work hard to develop a cooperative classroom environment where student emotions and ideas are respected and valued. I believe in utilizing behavioral response techniques that develop intrinsic motivation and that are founded on empathetic emotional development. The specific techniques I employ are age-appropriate, younger students require more teacher-centered direction where older students can engage in more student-centered activities due to their ability for greater self-monitoring as well as self-control. I believe in modeling an ideal democratic society within my classroom environment by utilizing strategies such as voting, consensus, and round-circle philosophical discussions. I also believe that immediately addressing student needs, (emotional, educational, social, and physical) leads to a healthier classroom environment where students feel safe, valued, and respected. I hold high standards for my students in regards to their learning and behavior, these are unique to each student based on their strengths and needs when they enter my classroom. To this end, I believe that each student is capable of learning, academic growth, and on-going social development throughout the school year.
I am also dedicated to the use of data to inform my instruction. I enjoy creating assessment tools that measure the effectiveness of my lessons, instruction methods, and student learning so I can strive for continual improvement. I enjoy attending academic conferences, sitting on curriculum development teams, assessment boards, and utilizing new strategies to keep my instruction engaging, effective, and relevant. I regularly go out of my way to invite colleagues and supervisors into my classroom so I can receive both formal and informal feedback regarding my strategies and teaching techniques. I am also dedicated to the use of technology and art as learning tools and strive to incorporate as much of both into my instructions, activities, and assessments as possible.
I work hard to develop a cooperative classroom environment where student emotions and ideas are respected and valued. I believe in utilizing behavioral response techniques that develop intrinsic motivation and that are founded on empathetic emotional development. The specific techniques I employ are age-appropriate, younger students require more teacher-centered direction where older students can engage in more student-centered activities due to their ability for greater self-monitoring as well as self-control. I believe in modeling an ideal democratic society within my classroom environment by utilizing strategies such as voting, consensus, and round-circle philosophical discussions. I also believe that immediately addressing student needs, (emotional, educational, social, and physical) leads to a healthier classroom environment where students feel safe, valued, and respected. I hold high standards for my students in regards to their learning and behavior, these are unique to each student based on their strengths and needs when they enter my classroom. To this end, I believe that each student is capable of learning, academic growth, and on-going social development throughout the school year.