A good education is a foundation for a better future.” - Elizabeth Warren |
I believe the best learning environments are ones in which students, as well as teachers, are supported, encouraged, and know they are valued. When students' basic needs are met, they are able to accomplish great things no matter their background or current instructional level.
As an educator I see my first, and perhaps most important, role is to be a trusted adult that students feel comfortable talking to, learning from, and with whom they feel safe and loved. Without that foundation, we have no hope in learning academics. Secondly, I hold my students to a high level of academic standards. We work hard, we always try our best, and we continue to push our understanding across all academic areas. My students know my goal for every year comes in three parts: to keep you safe emotionally, to keep you safe physically, and to get you ready for the next grade level. Everything I do in my classroom comes back to these core goals. Elizabeth Warren once said "A good education is a foundation for a better future." To expand on that, strong education is not just for the student's benefit, but for society as a whole. When our work force and community is well educated, we will live in a much more pleasant society: one that is welcoming, encouraging, and knowledgeable about the world around us. In my classroom I enjoy using group work and differentiated small group instruction, incorporating thoughtful data-based partnerships, student-choice, as well as the occasional randomized groupings to keep them all on their toes. By using a variety of hands on materials, engaging lessons, and technology, I work to meet the students where they are and scaffold their understanding to the grade level standards that are the foundation of the lesson. I model and embed high academic vocabulary, repetition and a variety of student engagement strategies to encourage group discussions and collaboration in my classroom. As I tell my students often, my goal is never to tell you WHAT to think but to give you the tools you need to think for yourself. I feel it's vital to give students multiple "tools for their toolbox" that that they can use to understand and apply the content. I believe we are a team: the students, parents, teachers, administration, and community at large that must work together to encourage and support our students. Within this collaboration I will always do what is best for our students beyond the four walls of my classroom. By providing a safe environment in which students can take risks and make mistakes without fear, we can help them reach their full potential. |
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