My Teaching Philosophy

I know the impact a quality educator can have on a student’s education because I have had the good fortune to have so many involved in my life since birth.  I come from a family of educators: parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles.  From the time I was very young, I always loved school and felt like it was easy to find success.  It was not until I was an adult that I realized that so much of my success was due to the educators that helped me along the way, both in my family and in school.  Not every student has an external support system that will help them when they struggle or push them to better their best, but in my classroom every student has a teacher who will.  I ensure that all of my students know what they can expect from me: a teacher who passionately cares about who they are, where they’ve been, and where they’re going.

I believe that an effective mathematics classroom is built around exploration.  The earliest mathematicians used math as a way to explore relationships between all the things around them, and students benefit when they too are allowed to engage with math in a way that asks them to explore the possibilities.  Each student enters my classroom with their own lived experiences, and with those, their own perspective on how they can use the tools of mathematics to ask and answer challenging questions about our world.  As a student shares their experience navigating the medical system, the class investigates questions about the pricing models of prescription drugs.  During a discussion about incarceration rates in America, students focus on the racial disparities they see in data. By connecting with other students in the classroom, they are able to collaborate using the tools from our lessons to further their own understanding of how to approach bigger questions in the real world. 

Every student deserves success in the math classroom, but success looks different for every student.  I know that, and I know that every student comes into my classroom with a different relationship with math.  It is my goal to understand how each of my students feels about their experience with math prior to our time together.  A student who feels safe and seen is more likely to engage in their classroom, even in a subject they may not yet be passionate about.  In my classroom, we recognize that mathematical thinking is evident in so many ways (not just by getting the right answer) and I celebrate all of the ways students show their strength in math - not just from a grade on a test.  From being able to recognize patterns to asking the right questions, from understanding how to use mathematical tools effectively to being able to organize data, there are countless ways for students to reveal their own mathematical brilliance.

Effectively grouping students together to work on larger mathematical tasks is critical to allowing each student to find their success.  The learning environment in my classroom is structured around collaboration to give students the opportunity to work with peers of various mathematical skill sets.  When grouping students this way, it is not uncommon for some students to take the lead and others to fall back and rely on others.  I monitor during group work time to disrupt these status issues and help shift students’ status by celebrating each of their thinking and allowing room for all to shine.  For smaller tasks, I encourage students to support each other through their productive struggle by asking thoughtful questions that get them talking with each other to find the answer, rather than relying on me as the holder of knowledge.  For larger tasks, I design rich tasks allowing multiple entry points and facets - no student will be good at all of them but each person should be good at at least one.  I thoughtfully design lessons with connections to the real world and multiple mathematical challenges so that all students feel they can be involved and engaged with the material.

Many students are driven by the score they see on the test or the grade that comes home on a report card.  While I cannot necessarily change students’ feelings about grades, I can assure them that all of my assessments and grading are focused on what they are actually learning in my classroom.  To get the best results from students, I do formal and informal assessments throughout each week so that larger formative assessments are not a surprise. For larger tasks, I invite students to help create rubrics for quality math work which allows them to have a voice in the assessment process and a better understanding of what the goals are.  I have students regularly reflect on their learning, their learning methods, and how they can bring their best self to the material coming next.  I am able to use these reflections to help mold my own teaching strategy for each student.  By effectively assessing students and hearing their thoughts on their education in their own voice, I am better able to tailor my lessons to ensure each student sees the success they deserve.

My teaching philosophy is built around the joy that can be found in mathematics, the greatness I see in all students, and my genuine desire to do everything in my power to help students be prepared for what awaits them after high school.  Math class is daunting for many students, but having confidence in using math as a tool is vital for living life as an adult.  Long after students have forgotten quadratics, trigonometry, or polynomials - they will remember how math makes them feel.  My goal as a teacher is to help each student see the mathematical brilliance in themselves and see the beauty of math in our world.