Philosophy

I am an educator that does their best to identify with students, encourage them to achieve and to motivate them to reach their goals. I want to create a safe environment for students where they can voice their opinions without discrimination or judgment. I also want to give them skills to cope with conflicts that come their way. I will be a teacher that actively seeks ways to connect with my students in new ways. I really care about my students not just academically but socially. I want to create a presence in which they feel as if they can bring up conflicts and problems they have.

I care about their social emotional needs as much as their academic goals. Through patience and kindness I work to communicate well with students, parents and staff to create the best support I can possibly provide. I want to remember that my students are here to meet goals but I also must seek to address their most basic needs first. In addition, I want to create an environment that fosters my student’s needs and hopefully gives them inspiration for them to become more empowered than when they walked through my doors on the first day. Lastly, I want to make sure I make learning accessible to all students.

As an educator I am aware that mathematics requires active involvement on the part of the students. Students must be engaged and actively learning the process of mathematics. As a teacher I will provide differentiated teaching that will not only be lecture-and-memorization based. Although that style is enough for some students, it is not enough for the majority. A few techniques I will use include visual, kinesthetic and auditory. Providing opportunities where students have agency in their learning and can discover, explore and learn math through various routes will be essential in their engagement and understanding. Facilitating this type of learning where they can make mistakes and practice will be essential in creating an environment in which critical thinking and problem-solving can take place.

It is crucial that students are able to express themselves in various ways. Incorporating art into curriculum and approaching teaching in differentiated ways will give students a different way to view a topic. By having students draw their own visuals for math or draw their own photos to give an illustration of a story, it encourages students to become more engaged in their work. I plan to cover the classroom with different illustrations to explain concepts as well as get students excited about their projects and their learning. Art not only gives students a way to visualize concepts but also allows for their imagination to run wild. Furthermore, it will aid students in better understanding their feelings and emotions and give them a way to express themselves.

As an educator I am aware that mathematics requires active involvement on the part of the students. Students must be engaged and actively learning the process of mathematics. As a teacher I will provide differentiated teaching that will not only be lecture-and-memorization based. Although that style is enough for some students, it is not enough for the majority. A few techniques I will use include visual, kinesthetic and auditory. Providing opportunities where students have agency in their learning and can discover, explore and learn math through various routes will be essential in their engagement and understanding. Facilitating this type of learning where they can make mistakes and practice will be essential in creating an environment in which critical thinking and problem-solving can take place.