My Philosophy of education comes from the core belief and aspiration to “Be the person you needed when you were a kid”. I believe that teachers are role models, who greatly impact students lives. Our students need support that goes beyond academic content areas. Students need to feel that their presence and experience is recognized and valued.

I believe that:

· All people, should have free an equal access to education regardless of their race, ethnicity, intellectual ability, socio-economic status, gender or sexual orientation.

· Equal means that everyone should get what they need to be successful, NOT that everyone should get the same thing.

· People should not be discriminated against

· Students culture and funds of knowledge should be honored in the classroom

· Culture is what someone chooses to participate and is not always tied to their race and ethnicity.

· People should not be stereotyped!

· Education is a collaborative effort between teachers, students, parents, families, administrators and the community.

· Its important to look at your students with an asset lens instead of looking for the deficits.

· Everyone can make a valuable contribution to the classroom in their own way.

· Students learn better when they feel safe, loved and respected.

· Curriculum should be as relevant as possible in order to engage students.

· Common Core Standards are more helpful than hurtful. People just need to be more receptive and open minded.

· Every class is different and they come with their own strengths, differences and learning pace.

· Real lesson planning can only take place once you get to know your students.

· No matter where they come from all the students have the same basic needs.

· People, including students and teachers, should never be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes.

· There are no stupid questions.

A. Motivation

I believe that a variety of factors influence a student’s motivation. I have found that a student’s socialization and orientation to school is plays a dominant role in a student’s motivation. A student’s orientation to school starts with their family. The way family members relate to school shape a child’s feeling about school. If the family lays the foundation for a positive orientation towards schooling, the student will be more likely to possess intrinsic motivation. Children who realize the importance of education in their life strive to be better students. They recognize that being a good student can provided them with a better future and a batter career. A teacher can assist in motivating these students emphasizing the relevance of the curriculum and relaying that elementary school learning lays the building blocks for future endeavors. Recognition can serve as an effective short-term motivator for students, such as prizes, awards and good grades.

In my future classroom, I would like students to do what I ask because they trust me. I want my students to trust that I will not ask them to do anything unreasonable or beyond their abilities. I would like to build a sense of community in my classroom where every task has a purpose, and people are treated with a mutual sense of respect.

I plan to use positive reinforcement to motivate my students. I hope that my students will be motivated by my enthusiasm for teaching. I want to be a teacher that inspires her students to be better people. I hope to motivate my students by making the curriculum relevant to their lives. I genuinely hope that students have a good time in my class, while learning and feeling like a valuable contribution to the classroom.

I would describe my motivational style as encouraging. I believe that you can accomplish anything when given the right resources. I want my students to have a positive attitude towards learning and feel empowered instead of defeat. The thought process and belief system is essential to the learning process. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’re setting yourself up to fail.

B. Expectations/Policies/Rules/Boundaries

1. Expectations of Students

Students will be expected to treat everyone, all people encountered at school, with respect. This includes but is not limited to teachers, fellow students, administrators, staff and school police. Respectful behavior will be categorized as the way you would want someone to treat you; interpersonal communication without using curse words or talking over someone, and reciprocating attention. It should be duly noted, that you don’t have to like or be best friends with someone to show that individual respect, rather I would expect students not to behave derogatorily towards other individuals. Bullying and fighting between students will not be tolerated.

Students will be expected to arrive prepared and ready to learn. This means, coming to school on time, as to not miss any instructional time, with necessary supplies and completed homework. Students will be expected to use electronic devices solely for educational purposes. Should they choose to bring electronic devices to school, students will be allowed to use them to take notes and complete assignments as opposed to hand writing. Students will be expected to try to sort out and problems, altercations or academic, amongst themselves by seeking out the opinions of at least three peers before coming to the teacher.

Students will be expected to approach learning with an open mind. Learning starts with a positive attitude. Students will be taught to approach school with a growth mindset. With a growth mindset perspective in mind, students with be instructed to believe that they can develop all their skills through hard work, putting a positive spin on the learning process. Instead of saying I can’t, students should say I need help, or I am working to get better. Thinking of learning as a spectrum rather than a finite skill.

2. Expectation of Classroom Climate

Intellectual

Students will approach learning with a growth mindset. Students will refer to themselves and others using positive pronouns. Students will metacognize positively and refer to their progress as opposed to their failure to meet expectations. For example, students will be instructed to say I’m working to become a good reader in stead of saying I’m not a good reader.

Social

I hope that my students will be able to make friends with their classmates. At the same time, I don’t want them to feel obligated to be friends with their classmates if they don’t want to. I would expect my students to be polite and address all other people with respect. I hope to teach my students the importance of kindness. I expect my students to solve their problems peaceful opposed to using physical violence. Students should have an awareness of other people’s feelings using situational cues and understand when they have wronged someone. Students should naturally seek redemption after an interpersonal conflict.

Emotional

I would like my students to feel happy and safe while in my class. Moreover, I would like my students to feel that their opinion matters and that they are an important addition to the classroom culture. I would like my students to feel values in every way. Recognizing themselves as individuals that bring their own culture and lived experience to the class. I never want my students to feel stifled. I would like them to feel that they can openly share their most intimate feelings and that these utterances will be met with respect from myself and their fellow students.

3. Rules & Policies

· Student will enter and exit the classroom in two lines through opposite doors.

· A line order that best suits the class will be decided. (alphabetical order, boy/girl..etc.)

· Students will always enter the classroom quietly in order to properly receive teacher directions.

· Students will arrive at school ready to learn with necessary supplies.

· Each student will have their own assigned seat, mailbox and specified area to store their personal belongings.

· Backpacks will not be allowed at or around student’s seats to avoid distractions.

· All school supplies will be shared amongst the classroom community. These school supplies will be stored at the front of the class in caddies on a bookshelf. Students will only be allowed to keep a pencil at their desk.

· Late assignments will be accepted within a reasonable amount of time with a valid excuse.

· Students will be involved in deciding a portion of classroom rules that will be visibly posted somewhere in the classroom.

· Students will use sign language to quietly signal for help, or requesting to get up.

· The school policy will be followed in emergency drills.

· Students will stay seated when in large group, only getting up with permission from the teacher.

· Students will raise their hand and wait to be called upon before speaking.

· When going to the restroom, office, nurse or anywhere else without the entire class students will walk in groups of three. In case of an emergency where one student gets hurt, one student can stay behind and the other can go look for help.

· Tests will be given in different methods to suit students needs. Assessments can be given orally or written to students individually, in pairs, or small groups. Tests will be given at the end of a topic or unit.

· Flexible seating will be permitted when necessary.

· If a student should damage or steal any classroom materials, that student(s) parent or 4. guardian will be asked to replace said item(s) or provide funding for a new one.

4. Promote Clear and Shared Expectations

· Rules, Daily Schedule and Classroom Norms will be visibly accessible.

o If necessary student will be allowed to have personal copies for reference.

· Students will be welcomed to contribute and share their opinion on what they deem an important, as far as classroom conduct goes

o Student may have suggestions that make themselves and their peers more comfortable in the classroom.

o If students feel as though they have ownership of the classroom rules they are more likely to abide by them.

· Rules must be put forth in relevant student friendly language.

· Rules and expectations will be rehearsed before specific activities (i.e. how to exit classroom, how to behave in auditorium, what we do during silent reading, writers workshop, reading circles, etc.)

· Teachable moments, when students fail to comply and receive consequences will arise and create opportunities to reinforce or reteach classroom expectations.

· With a strict adherence to classroom policies the teacher will force some students to “learn the hard way” through facing consequences like loosing points on late assignments or having detention.

· Rules developed will be normalized to schoolwide expectations.

· All student who have attended school prior, should be aware of and accustomed to following classroom and school rules as this is quite a standard procedure in the American Public-School system.

· A classroom without rules will result on chaos.

· The majority of my classroom rules and expectations stem from the idea of mutual respect.

· The best way get children to follow rules is to treat them with respect and attend to their questions and concerns about the purpose of your employed regulations.

5. Technical Management Strategies

· Strategies for gaining student attention should be age specific, as some methods could appear juvenile.

o Not all methods will work with all students as class personalities vary from class to class, year to year.

o Strategies for gaining student attention should be used in a trial and error method, with frequent periods of reflection used to gather information on the effectiveness of each method

o Possible Strategies for gaining student attention include:

§ Call and response

· Teacher claps once, students clap twice

· Teacher: Class, class, Students: yes, yes

§ Using hand signals

§ Non-verbal body language

§ Using signs for directives

§ Playing music to signal transitions

§ Starting the lesson with an engaging anticipatory set

· Making Transitions

o It is essential to establish classroom routines, so that students understand appropriate and effective methods for transitioning:

§ In and out of class as a large group

§ In triads for personal necessities

§ Between activities

· Students should always wait for teacher directives as to what materials to take out and where to relocate themselves if necessary

§ When individuals have finished tasks before the whole group. They will be permitted to complete a “May do” task, which can change daily and includes but is not limited to:

· Being allowed to take out a book and read silently

· Complete unfinished classwork packets

· Organize desk

· *All activities should be done quietly without disturbing classmates. Should any activity be deemed problematic it will no longer be included as a “may do” task.

6. Effective Routines & Procedures

· Planning and Preparing Ahead

o At minimum lesson plans should be prepared at least one week ahead of time

o Reflections are an essential part of lesson planning.

§ The effectiveness and accuracy of previous lessons should be considered when planning for the future.

§ Student progress and personalities play a significant role in how each lesson plays out.

§ Depending on each group of students, the time spent on lessons and units may vary from year to year.

o When starting out as a new teacher, collaborating with experienced teachers will be extremely helpful. As they will be more familiarized with expected student outcomes.

o When planning lessons a good teacher should be aware of whether the school has adopted a particular textbook or schoolwide curriculum, as to be in line with Teacher Performance Expectations.

o School staff or the principal may have selected particular textbooks, discipline strategy, math, reading or writing program.

§ Current programs and textbooks that I am familiar with include but are not limited to: Treasures, BenchMark Advance, Dibels, MyMath, Engage New York, Restorative Justice, Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS), Cognitive Guided Instruction Mathematics (C.G.I. Math), The Token Economy System, Way of Council, Writers Workshop and Reader’s Workshop

o If the opportunity presents itself, collaborative teaching could prove to be a lucrative method for planning lessons.

I would like to take an unconventional approach to teaching. Pending approval from the Principal at my school site, I would like to structure my classroom by teaching one subject per day, instead of teaching all the subjects every day. When you think about the average school day. For example, in and 8:00a.m.- 2:30p.m. K-5 school day, there are six and a half hours. But then you have to take the 20-minute recess break and the 40 minute lunch break. So now you’re down to five and a half hours. Then consider transition time, how long does it take the students to enter and exit the classroom, and transition between activities. If you average 5 minutes per transition, you take 5 minutes to enter the classroom at the beginning of the day, 5 minutes to get ready to go out to recess, 5 minutes to return to the classroom, 5 minutes to go to lunch, 5 minutes to return, and 5 minutes to exit the classroom at dismissal time. You now only have 5 hours left of instructional time for the day. I feel as though if you take the time to teach just one subject each day, your students can fully experience each topic. Often times lessons take, much longer than expected, and run over the time you as the teacher have allotted to that subject. When that happens, it ends up throwing off the routine for the day, and you fins yourself trying to catch up on other subjects later. When you teach just one subject per day you and your students can take their time and address learning in a leisurely way with a thorough investigation. By teaching one subject per day I would be able to include an informal assessment of students’ prior knowledge, a “Do-Now” assignment, anticipatory set, direct instruction, guided practice, group work, independent practice, and have a reteaching opportunity all in the same day. Students will be able to spend more time with each lesson, and as a result, develop a better conceptual understanding of each topic.

School established attendance policies will be followed. Generally, attendance including absences and tardiness will be recorded and reported at the onset of each day. Absent students with a valid excuse form their parent, will be able to make up the assignments they have missed and turn them in at a later time.

Each student will have his/her own desk positioned to accommodate any special needs. Each desk will have a child’s name visibly displayed with ample storage for essential school materials such as textbooks, notebooks, handouts, crayons, and writing utensils.

Other school supplies (markers, colored pencils, tape, glue and scissors) will be shared as a team and stored on a shelf at the front of the classroom. Every four to six children will have a designated team leader/supply “monitor of the week” (rotating weekly) who is responsible for transporting and returning said supplies.

7. Self-Assessment

My expectations are student centered. The main reason I want to be a teacher is to help children achieve their full potential as human beings. I feel that student centered expectations are more positive. I have framed my student objectives and expectations to promote positive behavior by stating what is allowed as opposed to what is not allowed. I believe that my expectations are reasonable, but at the same time if any of my expectations are found to be difficult for my students to comply with, I am willing to be flexible to an extent and change them as necessary. I am open to receiving constructive criticism and feedback from my students, parents and fellow teachers. After all, everything is a learning process.

My expectations for student performance come from a place of respect. I want my students to enjoy coming to school. I would like them to feel safe and important in my classroom. I hope that they feel they are a significant contribution to the classroom culture. Over the years I have been in many classrooms and have seen various management strategies. I hope that my expectations are successful and result in having productive well adjusted students.