My Teaching Philosophy

In order to be a masterful teacher, one must fully understand who their students are as both learners and as human beings. My motivation for developing a strong understanding of my students' abilities, needs, interests, and backgrounds enables me to make well-informed instructional decisions. I use formative and summative assessment data to cultivate a more complete understanding of my students- this information guides my instructional practices and allows me to provide appropriate scaffolds & challenges to my students. Likewise, I highly value the collaborative partnership that is created with a child's parents through frequent, focused, positive communication. Of course, any teacher's toolbox is incomplete without a variety of behavior management techniques at their disposal. I take great pride in my ability to create a positive, consistent learning environment within my classroom. I have high standards and expectations for my students, and they are made well-aware of these from the very first day of school. Positive behaviors are constantly modeled and reinforced in a variety of ways. This motivates my students to be responsible, determined, passionate, and enthusiastic learners. But most of all, it encourages them to love learning just as much as I do!