Teaching Philosophy

All students have the right to a safe, caring, learning environment with a teacher who respects and values them. All students should be provided ample opportunity to succeed academically, obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary for life and for higher education. Students should be open to the learning experiences provided by their teacher and willing to give their best efforts and hard work toward learning.

Teachers must guide learning, both by serving as the primary source for information and by facilitating the search for further knowledge by the students. They should provide real-life applications often but also emphasize the joy of learning for its own sake. Teachers should be ready and able to provide extensions or backgrounds to concepts taught in class that have sparked the interest of their students. Teachers should be cheerleaders who are willing to answer student questions and who praise genuine effort as well as accomplishment. Finally, teachers should always be mindful that they are role models as life-long learners and as citizens, and they should conduct themselves accordingly.