Educational Philosophy
I believe the process of learning is just as important as the material being learned. Meaningful, insightful, and transformative learning happens only when students are comfortable in their environment, fully engaged, and personally invested in their education. It is my role to serve as the facilitator and coach for this type of learning.
To this end, I strive to create, develop, and teach material in a way that encapsulates all of these ideals. For example, I give my students well-scaffolded choices within each lesson I teach and clearly outline our learning goals along the way. I also check-in with them constantly to see what they have learned, what they are struggling with, and what they would like to learn. Although it is somewhat of a foreign concept at first, once students become accustomed to this style of learning they are able to clearly and quickly recognize what tools and strategies they need for success.
Self-reflection is a critical component of this student-centered learning process. Along with teacher administered assessments, both formative and summative, self-reflection allows students the opportunity for dialogue in an otherwise extremely one-sided process. In addition to facilitating more direct involvement from students, these reflections allow me greater insight into the rationale, reasoning, and critical thinking methods used by students on particular assignments, assessments, and projects.
Another key piece of getting students more involved in their own learning is teaching lessons that are well-planned, genuinely engaging, interesting, and useful to them. This doesn't mean that I don't teach "dry" material or essential concepts. It does, however, mean that I create lessons that make these materials more accessible, relatable, and obtainable. For example, I might use real-world manipulatives to solve a math equation or lead my students in an immersive science project. Continual check-ins with students and informal evaluations of their understanding of these materials is also crucial, as well as the ability to modify and differentiate instruction on the fly.
Flexibility is the last, but arguably most important aspect of my teaching philosophy. When your awesome project falls flat or your lesson goes over everyone's head, it's easy to understand how being flexible comes in handy. For me, this concept is just as important in my approach to teaching. I have developed this teaching philosophy over the past six years after many successes, many more failures, and the occasional tears.
Although my core beliefs in student-centered learning have remained unchanged, I am always willing to try new ideas, teaching methods, or classroom management techniques that may help any of my students in their cognitive, emotional, and social development. They are, after all, our top priority.
To this end, I strive to create, develop, and teach material in a way that encapsulates all of these ideals. For example, I give my students well-scaffolded choices within each lesson I teach and clearly outline our learning goals along the way. I also check-in with them constantly to see what they have learned, what they are struggling with, and what they would like to learn. Although it is somewhat of a foreign concept at first, once students become accustomed to this style of learning they are able to clearly and quickly recognize what tools and strategies they need for success.
Self-reflection is a critical component of this student-centered learning process. Along with teacher administered assessments, both formative and summative, self-reflection allows students the opportunity for dialogue in an otherwise extremely one-sided process. In addition to facilitating more direct involvement from students, these reflections allow me greater insight into the rationale, reasoning, and critical thinking methods used by students on particular assignments, assessments, and projects.
Another key piece of getting students more involved in their own learning is teaching lessons that are well-planned, genuinely engaging, interesting, and useful to them. This doesn't mean that I don't teach "dry" material or essential concepts. It does, however, mean that I create lessons that make these materials more accessible, relatable, and obtainable. For example, I might use real-world manipulatives to solve a math equation or lead my students in an immersive science project. Continual check-ins with students and informal evaluations of their understanding of these materials is also crucial, as well as the ability to modify and differentiate instruction on the fly.
Flexibility is the last, but arguably most important aspect of my teaching philosophy. When your awesome project falls flat or your lesson goes over everyone's head, it's easy to understand how being flexible comes in handy. For me, this concept is just as important in my approach to teaching. I have developed this teaching philosophy over the past six years after many successes, many more failures, and the occasional tears.
Although my core beliefs in student-centered learning have remained unchanged, I am always willing to try new ideas, teaching methods, or classroom management techniques that may help any of my students in their cognitive, emotional, and social development. They are, after all, our top priority.