About Me

My name is Riley Russell, and I am a Senior Honors student studying Math Education and Spanish at Colorado State University.

My Educational Philosophy:

“My experiences in secondary classrooms and personal work with school-aged children have provided me with the chance to develop my own ideas and beliefs about being a future educator. As a mathematics teacher, I aspire to instill in my students mathematical knowledge and skills, while also cultivating their overall enthusiasm and natural curiosity for learning. I believe that educators have the unique opportunity to not only establish relationships with students, but to introduce and nurture life-long skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and a strong work ethic.

One of my core beliefs about education is that every single student should have the chance to succeed, regardless of current academic standing, cultural or financial background, or any other factor. This means that it is up to the teacher to create a safe environment that promotes motivation and engagement. Establishing a classroom community simply by spending a few days building student to student and student to teacher relationships can have a lasting impact on student engagement and classroom management. The Love and Logic teaching philosophy also helps to lay the foundation for this learning environment by helping teachers focus on empathy and allowing students to understand their full capabilities. My belief that every child has it within themself to succeed is the reason that I am planning on teaching in a high-need school. Teachers should be able to provide an excellent education to all students.

It is important for teachers to continuously impart relevant, challenging material to their classrooms. For example, technological skills are becoming increasingly significant in today’s society; therefore, educators should be incorporating technology into their lessons when possible. Also, I believe that it is highly beneficial to integrate other subjects into a math class. For example, students can practice literacy skills when they are asked to write down their responses to higher-level thinking questions, or teachers can incorporate social studies by introducing a topic with the historical background of an important mathematician. Overall, it is important that both the lessons and teaching methods are focused on the student. Teachers should be flexible and ready to modify any aspect of their teaching while differentiating instruction in order to meet each student’s needs.

I know that my life has been impacted by the great teachers throughout my education, and so I am excited for the chance to be the same role model for my future students. Teaching is such a special field in that teachers are able to prepare other individuals with skills they can use to thrive in the future. Every student should have the chance to succeed, and with the right teacher, every student can.”

To learn more about me, you can see the flyer below: