Philosophy of Teaching
As an educator, it is my responsibility to empower my students as they grow and learn; provide structure, stimulation, and guidance to nurture their physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development. I believe the overall goal of education is to prepare students to enter the world as individuals who are happy, healthy, and safe.
In this, I see both the need to prepare students for their future education and career, as well as to give my students the tools and enthusiasm to be confident, well-adjusted, lifelong learners. I strive to balance responding to external standards and embracing internal curiosity in order to provide a dynamic, equitable, and fruitful learning environment.
Clarity and the Culture of Power
A formative text in my path to teaching was Lisa Delpit’s The Silenced Dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people's children (1988). Delpit illustrates the “Culture of Power” present in education that privileges the rules and norms of one culture at the expense the Other. Her articulation of power and privilege in education changed the way I viewed rules, procedures, and standards. Thus, one of my goals is to prepare my students for what is expected of them. I have learned the importance of transparency when discussing what is expected, why it is expected, and how we will accomplish this together; our classroom is a place to interrogate these structures and develop students who are critical thinkers and creative learners. Students must understand the why before they begin to work at the how.
Assessment and Instruction: Universal Design for Learning
A primary influence in my pedagogy Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to relate the expectations shaped by the Culture of Power to our learning in the classroom which highlights each student’s individual strengths, interests, and backgrounds in the classroom collective. Differentiated instruction and flexibility in the classroom encourages student inquiry and gives them the power to choose how they receive and engage with information, as well as express comprehension and mastery. UDL encourages students to recognize and utilize their unique strengths, while normalizing and celebrating difference and diversity in the classroom.
Reflection: Journaling and Feedback
Frequent assessments inform the structure and content of my lessons. A key feature in this is student journaling and feedback, which gives students the space for reflection and flexibility in demonstrating their knowledge and development. I am especially fond of "Feedback Friday," in which students can demonstrate their own self-reflection, share their thoughts and opinions with me, and helps me to better cater to my students' needs.
Tools and Tech to Enhance Learning
I love using technology in the classroom; there are constantly new programs, software, and updates to current tools that make learning that much more engaging, fun, and fruitful. I really like tools such as Schoolology, Nearpod, Canva, and Google Classroom that give students a large tool belt and freedom to learn on their own terms. Additionally, gamifying education is made that much easier with technology -- and the students enjoy these informal, fun assessments that are "not as stressful as normal tests," said one of my 6th grade students.
However, while tech provides a host of educational tools, I believe in a balance between high-tech and low-tech. specially when the only real deterrent from student distraction is student policing. Hands-on, tactile activities; free writing; worksheets and packets specific to our class progress and needs; and interpersonal work are some of the main methods I use to counterbalance the use of technology in the classroom.
Community Care
Community Care is an exceptionally important part of my teaching praxis. One phrase I often repeat to my students is that my job—at its core—is to keep each of my students happy, healthy, and safe. Thus, I will never ignore or let slide any bullying, teasing, and derogatory language. The classroom community is a unique and beautiful microcosm of the larger school community. From day one, I strive to instill a strong sense of community in my classroom; we are part of a team that takes care of each other. Especially with the aftereffects of COVID-19, gun violence, hateful speech, and civil unrest in our country, I find caring for one another in our classroom community all the more essential.
************
I view my role as an educator as one which provides holistic support to my students as they learn, discover, create, and grow; to provide stability through structure, stimulation, and guidance. Transparency, frequent informal assessments, and flexibility throughout the classroom empower my students and I to succeed as both individuals and as a learning community.