Statement Of Teaching Philosophy

 

              My teaching philosophy is influenced by what I want my classroom to look like and feel like for my students.  Classroom culture affects many aspects of a student’s educational experience and creating a positive classroom community is critical to building trust and rapport with students.  It is also influenced by an understanding that not all children learn the same.  Recognizing and celebrating diverse learners is what I seek to do. Thirdly, it is influenced by my experience as a mother of three school-aged children.  I didn’t always know I wanted to be a teacher but my life experiences have guided me in this direction, in the direction of what has now become my life purpose.  

​

              In my classroom, I will create a community that we wish to see in the world.  A community where we are free to express our unique thoughts and ideas in a way that is kind, respectful and encouraging.  I will achieve this through daily morning and closing meetings where as a classroom community, we check in with one another.  Students will share how they are feeling or share personal stories from home.  It will be a time when my students can reflect on the day before and with a growth mindset,  create personal goals for the day to come.  Another way I will build a classroom community is through weekly classroom meetings. These meetings will address problems impacting our community. Together, we will brainstorm ways to solve the problems to ensure that everyone has a voice in the decisions.  Creating a positive classroom culture is imperative in cultivating a space where students and teachers learn to care for one another.  If students care about each other, about each other's spaces, cultures, and differences; it creates an environment where students feel safe and are allowed to learn freely; free of biases and free of judgment.  There is an urgent need for anti-racist and anti-biased education.  I will work to deconstruct and disrupt powerful and harmful narratives about race as it is essential that or classrooms cultivate anti-racism curricula and prioritize anti-biased education, an education that promotes an understanding of social problems and invites students to engage in conversations about race and injustice and to invent strategies for improving social conditions. 

 

              Not all children learn the same and a fully-inclusive classroom, a classroom that meets the needs of all my diverse learners and their unique learning styles, is what I strive for.  For example, in my classroom you will see options for flexible seating, a comfy calming spot where students can go to when they just need a few minutes to think.  You will also see a variety of learning tools and many visuals with clear directions for everything we do.  You will witness several opportunities for students to engage in meaningful and respectful classroom discussions.  The authors and characters of the books in my classroom library will reflect the diverse demographics of my students.  Our projects will consist of content mastery through meaningful work, and personal connections that create powerful real-world learning experiences.  I have high expectations of my students as I believe in teaching with academic rigor.  I require my students to work hard to produce quality work at a higher level than what they came in with.  I believe in providing students with opportunities to succeed and to share who they are as unique individuals.  One of my goals is to help them see and celebrate their strengths and to help them realize that there will be many versions of themselves.  The person you are today, will not always be who you are.   We will honor those differences as they make for a richer community.  I always say, how boring life would be if we were all the same and I truly mean that.  I make it a choice every day to look at other human beings with genuine curiosity and think, tell me more, I want to learn all about you.  I look at my students the same way.  My classroom will be a space where we celebrate what we have in common while also embracing our differences by making connections across those differences. 

          

              My teaching philosophy also stems from my experience as a mother and by the understanding that it takes a village to raise a child.  Parents love their children and want the best for them. As a mother of three children, I enter the classroom with that lens first.  It means the world to me that parents are putting their trust in me to keep their children safe and to educate their child.  I take that role seriously and seek to build trusting and meaningful relationships with students and families.  I have been blessed with many great teachers in my children’s lives, teachers that have played a role in raising my children.  In fact, these amazing teachers have been the reason why I chose to become a teacher.  My own children have been educated by teachers that have taught them not only strong academics but have also encouraged them to be better citizens, better human beings, to care about the world they live in and to care about the people around them.  For that, I am forever grateful and strive to be that kind of teacher. I too will be the kind of teacher that pushes her students to be their authentic selves, to be human beings that care to create change where change needs to occur, to push her students to question everything by using their intellectual skills to analyze the world around them.  I treat my students the way I want my own children to be treated.  I have great respect for the learning process of children and the role that parents and families play in this process.

​

              My role as a teacher is to help my students realize who they are meant to be in this world and a great teacher can do that.  I believe schools should be a safe space where children feel seen, heard and valued.  School should be a space where we put children first, where they can be themselves, take risks, learn and grow from teachers and their peers.  In my classroom, there are no arbitrary decisions, everything I do as a teacher and everything my students do as learners is done with intent and purpose.  Every moment in the classroom is a teachable moment and my role as a teacher is to guide those moments throughout the day while also holding my students accountable for their learning.  This process of teaching may be a little messy and a little loud.  It definitely won’t be perfect and that’s ok.