Philosophy of Teaching
I love teaching middle school. A middle school student still has that
inborn sense of wonder and natural curiosity, so it is easy to grab their
attention. They are child-like enough that they are willing to get
involved, get dirty, get down on the floor or go outside for an adventure.
They are mature enough to question, think abstractly and form their own
opinions. This combination makes for an exciting classroom. I am the
luckiest person in the world because I love my job and am never bored.
As a teacher, I have three main goals for my students. I want to motivate
students to think critically through inquiry and exploration. I want to
help students develop necessary skills to seek information and answer their
own questions. Finally, I want to encourage students become life-long
learners, always seeking to better understand the universe in which they
live.
I know that people learn best by active participation. We may only remember
ten percent of what we hear, but we can remember ninety percent of what we
do. My goal is to make sure that my students are engaged in the learning
process. My classes are hands-on, requiring that students perform
experiments, talk about results with peers, discover relationships, relate
concepts to past experiences and apply knowledge to daily lives. I strive
to develop lessons that capture the imagination and allow for students to
investigate possibilities. Learning is not a spectator sport! They must
make what they learn a part of themselves.
I also believe that people are more receptive to learning if they are
enjoying themselves. I devote time and energy to creating a welcoming
environment in my classroom. I look for lessons that seem like they would
be fun for me. If the lessons I teach are exciting to me, then there is a
better chance that I can get my students interested and engaged. I bring
fun demonstrations, pictures, drawings, songs and videos into my classroom.
I laugh with my students. I want to show students that learning is fun so
that they are thrilled when it is time for class to begin.
Finally, I like to teach the whole child. There is more to my students than
what happens in the classroom. I like to go to sporting events, plays,
dance recitals and musical concerts in which they are involved. I take the
time to remember their birthdays. I send postcards to them when I am
traveling during the summer to let them know I am thinking of them and
during the school year to tell them how much I appreciate them. I
individually encourage each one to reach his potential. I celebrate their
successes.
As a teacher, my goals are the same as the ones I have for my students- to
think critically through inquiry and exploration, to constantly seek
information to questions and to be a life-long learner that seeks to better
understand the universe in which I live. I like to try new things and have
new experiences. I love to travel and learn the natural history of an
area. I would like to travel to all seven continents in the next ten
years. I'm not afraid to tell a student that I don't know an answer to
their question, but I do my best to find out before the next class period.
I want to encourage students to achieve excellence by creating memorable
learning experiences, so I am always looking for workshops, classes or
resources that can make me a better teacher.
Mostly, I want to leave this world a better place by making a difference in
at least one childs life.
