Teaching Philosophy

    Becoming a teacher has been everything I expected it to be, but yet so much more.  As such I have nurtured, changed and embraced some strong beliefs around teaching and I have been able to develop and grow my teaching philosophy.  Here are some things I think are really important: 

First and foremost, I want to be a fun and engaging teacher.  This is something I have believed in since the very first day I walked into the Teacher Education Program and that has grown and developed even more through my experiences.  Being a teacher who is committed to engaging lessons does not just mean that I only produce "fun" materials, it just means that my students are constantly engaged and they want to learn.  Getting your students to a place where they can be engaged is not an easy feat; it means making connections with them, knowing what they like to do, and thinking outside of the box when it comes to activities and assessment.  I want to make sure that my teaching practices leave my students excited come to class every day and more importantly, excited to learn and try new things.  

Over time I have come to realize that in order to accomplish this level of engagement you need to be committed to being an energetic teacher.  Being excited about every lesson you teach sets the example for your students to be engaged and excited as well.  Trying to sell a lesson to your students that you yourself are not into never seems to go well - I know, I've learned from experience :) 

Another thing that I have strongly come to realize through my teaching is that you can't do anything unless you have a strong connection to the students.  In my practicum classroom the students were already motivated but there are a number of things I could not have done without them on my side.  I think this connection needs to be made through knowing their names, their interests, being committed to asking them questions about their lives, taking an interest in the work they complete, learning to read their moods and understand their home lives/friendship dynamics and having a very strong understanding of where they sit academically and how you can help them to achieve even more!  

 The last thing I want to mention is believing in your students.  Tell them they can succeed everyday and then they will start to believe it too!  Believing that they CAN learn and they CAN accomplish something is the first step towards helping them.