Educational+Philosophy

The following expresses my educational views developed over my years of teaching.

Education is the fundamental instrument in creating well-rounded, knowledgeable members of society. Each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature. **It is my goal as an educator to help every student meet their full potential by providing an environment that is safe, encourages sharing of ideas and supports risk-taking.**


 * As a teacher my role is to guide and support students as they take on the responsibility for their learning.** As a facilitator, I provide access to information and invoke curiosity instead of being the primary source of information. The students' in return are intrinsically motivated to learn and become risk-takers in finding the answers to their questions. The students need authentic situations and hands-on activities as well as time and space to explore in order for learning to be successful.

Providing the students with a wide variety of topics that are meaningful and relevant to one's life and interests is equally important as self-directed discovery. Developing a curriculum and lessons around student interests immediately peaks curiosity, motivation and stimulates the passion to learn. Students should be given the opportunity to choose topics of interest, generate dialog of prior knowledge and set goals for their learning. **When students have ownership in the curriculum, they are motivated to work hard and master the skills necessary to reach their goals.**

Creating and providing a safe environment for student learning and risk-taking is not only crucial for skill mastery but also for managing discipline. Promoting love and respect for oneself, others, and their environment occurs through an open sharing of ideas and a natural consequence approach to discipline. **In my classroom I follow The Responsive Classroom approach that emphasizes social, emotional, and academic growth in a strong and safe school community**. Each morning a meeting is held to greet and honor the presence of each child, time is given to share thoughts, feelings, or news and a message is read to give an overview of our day and any changes that may occur. At the beginning of the year the students have the responsibility of coming up with our classroom rules to ensure their ability to learn. By fair and consistent rules initially and stating the importance of every activity, students are shown respect for their presence and time. In turn, they learn to respect themselves, others and their environment.


 * Teaching provides me the opportunity for continual learning and growth**. The student dynamic and my personal goals change from year to year allowing me to be creative as a teacher, never teaching the same lesson twice. **One of my hopes as an educator is to instill a love of learning in my students, and watch them grown into life-long learners.** I feel there is a need for compassionate, strong, and dedicated individuals who are excited about working with children. In our competitive society it is important for students to not only receive a solid education, but to work with someone who is aware of and sensitive to their individual needs. I am such a person and will always strive to be the best educator I can be.