My teaching philosophy
"Every child should have the best opportunity to become the best person they can be."
This quote is what I believe as a teacher and the keys to education listed below are how I try to achieve this lofty goal daily.
The Keys to Education
Differentiation
Differentiation is a staple element of my classroom. Differentiating is a key in my view for helping all students be successful. Many people ask why I can't just do the same lessons every year and differentiation is why. A good teacher like myself approaches each lesson differently every year because the group of students is different. I need to know my students. Their wide range of ability levels changes from year to year. I differentiate instruction through a variety of strategies, including tiered activities, Choice boards, guided reading/math groups, anchor activities and independent projects to just name a few. I utilize formative assessments such as self assessments and pretests to guide my differentiation. Having a wide range of tools to engage students and spark their desire for knowledge is my goal. Technology integration is an essential part of moving students towards becoming our future leaders. Modeling and nurturing 21st Century skills help all students exceed their goals and potential. With each type of differentiated lesson I maintain high academic standards for all ability levels. My desire is to create activities that push every student from CD to the Gifted students to think past what they thought was possible. I hope that with these high expectations for all, I am able to be meet my students' needs because of my differentiation.
Instructional Best Practices
Instructional best practices are essential to a high achieving classroom. When it comes to best practices in my classroom I incorporate small groups, class workshops, modeling, think aloud, experiments/projects, inquiry/project-based learning, integrated units and formative/summative assessments that are a reflection of learning. It is important to know your students interests, strengths and weaknesses to create the best learning environment.
Classroom Management
When it comes to classroom management, I set high expectation for all students both academically and behaviorally. I work hard to create an environment for optimal learning each day through building classroom community, daily routines, procedures, and by nurturing a caring environment. Learning about each of my students personally and developing a trusting relationship helps in nurturing the whole child. Students of every ability level thrive academically when they have routines, procedures and high expectations which set them up to be successful. My students are responsible for their behavior and therefore I believe students need to have a voice in the rewards and consequences for the management system.
Parent Communication
As a parent myself, I know the importance of being informed about a child's educational career. I love to start the year with introduction phone calls prior to school. Making a positive initial contact is essential to creating productive, trusting relationship with parents. I also maintain a communication log (phone, email, text, and written note). My class website has been a great way to keep parents up-to-date with current classroom happenings, homework, and needs. Another way I keep parents informed is through a weekly newsletter sent home with their students' homework. The newsletter highlights our focus for learning, how they can support student learning and any upcoming important dates. Just this year I started using Remind. By using this site I am able to text my parents' messages and send reminders for important upcoming events.
Professional Growth
I think one of the signs of a great teacher is that they never do the same lesson the exact same way. They are always improving their instruction and therefore, their students overall learning. I am one of those people. I make notes on my lesson plans of how I would adjust the lesson for the following year. Lessons are then kept so that improvements can be made at the next implementation. With my goal to continuously strive to be the best at what I do, I have gone back to school to and earned my Masters, and sought out many professional development opportunities. My choice of learning opportunities is guided by my own learning needs and that of my students. For example, data over time showed deficiencies in Math fluency and Fractions, aligned to the common core. Work at a two-day workshop during the summer focused on these aspects. I have effectively implemented many of the concepts in my class and shared them with the math team. I have also sought out the district math coach for assistance. I have asked her to provide feedback on my teaching model different approaches, and assist with math workshop. I have started the next phase of my educational life. I am currently going to school for my Principal's licensure. Within the next year I will have my license.