What is your teaching philosophy?

It is the teacher's responsibility to foster a stimulating and encouraging classroom. School content should be both challenging and applicable to the student's experience outside the classroom. It is also important for children to take control of their own learning. Two different educational strategies of encouraging children to take on the responsibility of their own learning and critical thinking are questioning and the gradual release method. I will often begin a new science unit by asking children to write down all of their questions about the topic, for instance. I may open a new topic with a KWL chart or ask children to pose their own questions after several readings of a particular ELA passage. Children are, by nature, inquisitive, and I try to encourage their curiosity about our school topics whenever possible. I have used project based learning at my most recent school of employment, where I open with an essential question and encourage students to answer by researching in a small group and creating individualized products.