My Philosophy

Teacher-Student Relationship:

I think teacher student relationships are very important for small children. Spending about 5-7 hours a day with students in an elementary setting is a lot of time to develop a relationship. Elementary school teachers also tend to have a lasting relationship on students because they spent so much time with them. When I think about my elementary school years, I think about the teachers who made an impact on me and a lot had to do with the relationship I had with them. I remember them fondly. Here are some ways I develop relationships with my students:

I believe teachers need to have a specific mindset first. They must have the desire to create a democratic classroom where the teacher is not seen as the boss or the only person in charge, but a part of the team. I want my students to feel like they are part of our classroom and have rights and responsibilities to create a community where everyone is happy and learning. Teachers who do not have this mindset, tend to be more authoritative and often do not develop strong relationships with their students.
I have developed this relationship with my students is by constantly monitoring and actively participating in their learning. I believe that when teachers assign work or tasks for students to complete, they have to be available and aware of the process. I have seen far too many teachers sitting at their desks doing something else while students are working. Being with the students is so important in understanding them, as well as catching difficulties that they may be experiencing. Talking and engaging with students helps me to understand their problems, fears, strengths, and any confusion that they might have while learning.
I believe in small group instruction. This is the time in my day when I really get to know my students. We communicate and learn together in A smaller setting which helps students feel more comfortable compared to whole group discussions. Shy and quiet or students in my classroom are usually very talkative in small group meetings. Small group meetings or instruction levels the playing field, giving students an opportunity to show what they know without doing it in front of everyone else. This is an opportunity for them to contribute and feel successful as well. I love meeting with my students in small groups!
Another way I develop strong teacher or student relationships is by communicating. I try to connect with my students or communicate with them in someway or another each day. I try to get to know them and their interests so we have things to talk about during non-academic times. I believe that when the students know that I care about them not just a students but as people, they are more comfortable with me. This is especially important with students who have behavioral issues or other social issues that they are dealing with. When I correct students behavior or we have an incident, the students know that I care about them and I want what is best for them.

Student-Student Relationships:

I believe that cooperation and collaboration are essential 21st century skills. In my classroom, I give students a lot of opportunities to work collaboratively in all subject areas. Some students like it, while others do not like it as much. I use technology apps, small group discussions, and projects to allow students to develop relationships with each other. Every day, students work together with their partners to solve math problems, write vocabulary sentences, and work on scientific investigations. I mix up the students as often as possible so they get a chance to work with everyone. We use the Think-Pair- Share method many times during the day. often. Students also give each other feedback and critique their work using postive language and suggestions. However, just putting students to work together in a shared space is not always enough. Students need tools and strategies to know how to work together and communicate. I often help students with sentence starters, ice breakers, speaking sticks, etc. Overall, I know students learn and enjoy working with each other and through student-student interaction, they are developing valuable skills that will help them be successful in the future.

Promoting Responsible Behavior:

I believe that students will learn responsible behavior when they are given an opportunity to be responsible. This idea is from Alfie Kohn, who has written many books on rewarding students. He states that telling students that they have to be responsible is not enough. They have to be allowed to be responsible. I promote responsible behavior by giving students tasks and choices in the classroom. Then I help them manage those tasks. For example, on Fridays, students get to sit anywhere in the classroom, with whomever they choose. Most often students pick their friends to sit next to and the beginning of the year, they tend forget about working and just talk to their friends. They are given a few opportunities to improve, but if it does not work out, they have to go back to their own seat. They try again the next week. After a while students learn that if they want to sit next to their friends, they have to exercise self-control and continue to focus on their work as well. Another way students learn responsibility is by completing their class job. All students share the responsibility of completing a job for our classroom. When students fail, they are not punished, but given another opportunity to learn and try again. Another way, I teach responsibility is by helping students manage their time and teaching them to prioritize tasks. In the beginning of the week, I assigned a few activities for students to complete during independent work time in class and at home. In the beginning of year, I tell students what to do by giving them suggestions. As the year goes on, I pull back on the suggestions and let them decide on their own how they want to manage their time. The students who figure this out, do not have homework towards the latter part of the week. When students do not use their class time wisely, they have homework and often cannot participate in other additional activities in class. Learning responsibility takes time, but I believe students need that opportunity to try.

Supporting Diversity:

My classroom is full of diverse learners and supporting this diversity is really important to me! Here are some techniques I use in my classroom.

We talk about the different ethnic backgrounds, traditions, and beliefs of my students. When we are talking about one idea or event from a text or in history, I ask students about their cultural perspectives. For example, when we talk about the California Gold Rush, we look at the event from the point of view of the other minority groups who traveled to California from far away countries and places. We imagine what life was like for them being from a different culture. Students are usually excited and proud of their heritage and enjoy talking about these topics. We celebrate holidays and important events in their lives.
We read culturally relevant literature that has strong characters from multiple backgrounds. We read about strong male and female characters in literature.
I maintain high standards for all my students, no matter what their background. When students are struggling, I encourage them to try their best and help them to reach their goals.
I'm honest about my own cultural background and tell students about the experiences I had growing up as in a minority group in this country. This also helps me connect with students who have gone through similar experiences.
Diversity does not necessarily mean multiculturalism. Diversity also exists in the way students learn and think. I like to use a variety of teaching methods and assessment methods in order to ensure that all students are given an opportunity to reach their goals. This means that all students should have an equal opportunity to access the curriculum and participate in the learning process. When students are struggling to understand material or concepts, I work with them and help them understand in a different way. I tried to treat every child like an individual.

Consequences/Punishments:

I believe that punishments do not foster positive long-term behavior goals. Punitive consequences do not usually help students see the connection between their behavior and the effects of it. Often times, I think of a punishment given by an adult comes from a place of anger or retribution. In addition, sometimes punishments have nothing to do with the behavior. Punishments should never be used in the classroom.

I do believe and logical consequences and positive reinforcement. Here is my system for working with a child who has difficulty behaving.

When I have a challenging student, first and foremost, I try to think about whether the student's behavior problem is caused by a skill-deficit. Can the student actually do what I'm asking? Students should not be punished for behaviors that they cannot control. As a teacher, it is important to be aware of this. For example, if a student is having difficulty keeping their desk organized and materials are all over the place, before anything, I talk to the student to get an understanding of why the behavior is occurring. Perhaps student doesn't really know how to keep his or her desk organized. Perhaps all they need are some tips and strategies. Perhaps they just need a quick reminder to put things away.
If I have determined that the student does in fact have the skills required to follow directions or meet expectations, but is not, my next step is to find out why. This usually involves a conversation where I ask some probing questions to find out why a student is exhibiting a specific behavior. At this time, we discuss what the student needs to fix and how he or she can fix it.
The next time the behavior occurs I usually provide a link slip for the student to complete. More information on the Think Slip can be found here.
At this time, if the behavior continues, I usually give a logical consequence. I use these techniques:
- The consequence is always paired with a positive reinforcement and an explanation.
- I use a consequence that correlates and corrects the misbehavior. It is also one that is the mildest, but still effective.
- I always allow myself time to figure out what the consequence will be so that I can think rationally before speaking to the student. I speak calmly and assign the consequence using kind words.
- The student does not miss any academic work in order to deal with the consequence.
- I talk with the student and monitor the effects of the consequence.
In rare cases, the behavior does not get better. At this point, I have already contacted the parents and possibly my administrator as well. Perhaps a loss of a privilege will help. Also, if the student's behavior is harming others, he or she may need to be removed from an area or event.

Motivation of Students:

Teachers have the power to motivate students in their classrooms. Sometimes this is difficult, but we should always Remember that we are here for the students first and foremost. Here are some things I do in my classroom to motivate students:

I praise and acknowledge students' achievements to let them know they are on the right track.
I offer them choices in every aspect of our day, as much as I can.
I walk around the room as they teach and when students are working with their partners or groups. I am always involved in what the students are discussing or working on. Making myself available shows the students that I care about what they are doing and I am there if they need me.
Fake it until you make it! I know that there are some subjects that I might not be as enthusiastic to teach as others but I always try to make it fun and entertaining for my students. I know that when I'm not motivated, students won't be either. My attitude about something can affect them as well.
I use a variety of instructional techniques throughout the day. Sometimes we have a group discussion, watch a movie or demonstration, talk with our partners, use technology, and work in small groups. I keep the learning activities going, without spending too much time on any one subject. That way students who do not like a specific subject, do not feel overwhelmed or burned out. I incorporate dance, music, art and theater into every day, even if it is just for five minutes!
We talk about things that are important to my students. If we are discussing something that is on my lesson plan, but students make connections to another idea, events, or to their personal lives, I allow them to talk about it. If students find something meaningful and relevant to they want to know about, I am open and willing to explore it.
We track the students' progress and improvement through the use of digital portfolios. We also create goals in certain subjects and I work with students to help them reach those goals throughout the year. At the end of a reporting period, we start again so students can Feel successful if they did not reach their goal the first time. The girls are individualized and so no one is comparing themselves with others. Students love to share what they have accomplished with their classmates and parents!
Genius Hour - This is an activity we do every Friday morning for about an hour and a half or two hours. This gives students and opportunity to study something of interest and develop a talent or passion of their own. It is individualized for each student. There are some parameters, but mostly, they are allowed to be creative and have control over what they do.
Project-based learning - I use project-based learning in my classroom.I think students are motivated by this kind of learning because it's authentic and meaningful. They are really engaged and love being challenged. The project-based learning students also gain a deeper understanding of the material.