What is your teaching philosophy?

I teach because I want to encourage students to develop the passion and determination necessary to succeed in life. As an educator, every day I work to instill knowledge, courage, curiosity, and a love of learning in my students. In order to accomplish this goal, I try to engage the students, collaborate with my fellow teachers and the administrators, build relationships through open communication, address individual student needs, and continually develop my professional skills. Collaborating with coworkers and administration through planning and observations provides the support needed to create a positive work environment where learning and growth can occur. Parent involvement helps student growth and shows investment in education. However, the most important collaboration happens in the classroom. Having opportunities to partner talk and actively participate in both small groups and whole group lessons will engage students, build academic and social bonds, and address the individual needs of each student. These types of in-class collaborations give students a chance to work together to solve complex problems. I use both formative and summative assessments to determine if students grasp key concepts. "I can" statements are used in every lesson to show students what they will be expected to learn during that lesson. These statements provide clear expectations for the students and hold them responsible for the work. I believe students do their best with high expectations and standards. Building relationships is another important key to a successful school year. I build relationships with my students by supporting and addressing their individual needs, while attempting to give projects and hold discussions that are genuinely interesting to them. Communicating to students' expectations and holding students accountable for positive and negative behavior, I can also build relationships through strong discipline techniques. Communication is essential to building these relationships. By communicating with parents and other teachers, I will better be able to help students individually and collectively. Through professional development, I can continue to improve the way I teach. I can learn to better engage students, communicate concepts more effectively, and build stronger relationships within my class. This past year, I have attended many professional development classes in Math, Science, English language arts, and Responsive Classroom. All have helped improve and strengthen my beliefs as an educator. A teacher holds multiple roles in and out of the classroom: role model, mentor, and educator. It is essential to be able to actively engage students and convey new concepts while still maintaining control of the classroom. Over the past year, I have learned that accomplishing this goal requires patience, determination, compassion, hard work, consistency, and generosity. I feel that I embody these qualities, and I want to instill these qualities in my students.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

I ask students about their interests. I find out what they like and dislike and their favorite and least favorite subjects in school. I also use a variety of assessments to see where students are for a more accurate understanding to plan future sessions.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Students want to become independent learners when they feel successful and are curious about learning more about a topic. I get students excited about what we are learning by encouraging their curiosity and encouraging them to take risks and feel successful.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

I help students make personal connections through emotions or past experiences. I also use graphic organizers and try to break the questions down.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I provide multiple ways to solve a problem. If one strategy does not work for the student, I try another solution to help the student master the skill or concept.