Teaching Philosophy
Education = Empowerment. With education, one becomes empowered. That is to say, a person develops confidence. Additionally, my philosophy includes variety, teaching using a combination of approaches, and learning the world of the child.
Variety is the spice of life. Variety is everywhere: students are different, they are from different backgrounds, they learn differently, and they even come to answers or solutions using different techniques. There is also value in varying strategies when learning math concepts, for example, from manipulatives to math games to applets on the computer. Lastly, variety exists in the classroom: do we learn or practice a concept in a whole class discussion, in small groups, in pairs, or independently? Variety fosters better understanding, which is one of my primary goals in teaching. Variety helps children internalize concepts.
The Interdisciplinary Approach connects curriculum. One of the main goals of this approach is to give students a more relevant, less fragmented, and stimulating learning experience. I am a proponent of the idea that everything is connected, and connections help us to understand the world around us more deeply.
In implementing the Interdisciplinary Approach, I plan to also incorporate the Cognitive Theory. In this theory, children need a multitude of new experiences, problems, and ideas to organize. The Cognitive Theory states that children need to handle concrete material and have many direct, first-hand experiences in order to better understand and internalize what they are learning. (Paving Pathways, Hughes). Johann Pestalozzi once said, "Do not teach by words anything which you can teach by actual experience of things as they are."
Vygotsky's Social Cultural Theory encompasses the way I want to run my classroom, whereby: The class is a democratic and informal community of learners. The student is a contributor and a problem solver who is responsible for her own learning. The student is encouraged to question everything. In Vygotsky's Social Cultural Theory, the teacher's role is that of a knowledgeable co-learner, motivator and class activity designer.
"Teach the whole child" or "learning the world of the child." This is the multicultural component of my teaching philosophy, where I believe it is important to know the ethnic backgrounds, culture and traditions, socioeconomic status, religion, hobbies, and home life of my students. Until I truly know the children, I cannot teach them effectively. Through community building activities and "getting to know you" exercises, the students will learn about each other. They will appreciate the differences in their classmates, and be unified by their similarities.
My philosophy of teaching highlights creativity, flexibility, an understanding of children, and a teacher's ability to see the world through children's eyes. I want the students to enjoy learning a concept as much as I enjoy teaching it. Enthusiasm is contagious. I know that my ability to see the world through children's eyes has been keenly developed via motherhood. I see the wonder, the curiosity, the thirst to know, the desire to create and learn in my son and daughter's eyes every day. As a teacher, I will encourage and nurture the awe and wonderment of the world as the child experiences it, one science experiment, one journal entry, one art project, and one math game at a time.
Education = Empowerment. With education, one becomes empowered. That is to say, a person develops confidence. Additionally, my philosophy includes variety, teaching using a combination of approaches, and learning the world of the child.
Variety is the spice of life. Variety is everywhere: students are different, they are from different backgrounds, they learn differently, and they even come to answers or solutions using different techniques. There is also value in varying strategies when learning math concepts, for example, from manipulatives to math games to applets on the computer. Lastly, variety exists in the classroom: do we learn or practice a concept in a whole class discussion, in small groups, in pairs, or independently? Variety fosters better understanding, which is one of my primary goals in teaching. Variety helps children internalize concepts.
The Interdisciplinary Approach connects curriculum. One of the main goals of this approach is to give students a more relevant, less fragmented, and stimulating learning experience. I am a proponent of the idea that everything is connected, and connections help us to understand the world around us more deeply.
In implementing the Interdisciplinary Approach, I plan to also incorporate the Cognitive Theory. In this theory, children need a multitude of new experiences, problems, and ideas to organize. The Cognitive Theory states that children need to handle concrete material and have many direct, first-hand experiences in order to better understand and internalize what they are learning. (Paving Pathways, Hughes). Johann Pestalozzi once said, "Do not teach by words anything which you can teach by actual experience of things as they are."
Vygotsky's Social Cultural Theory encompasses the way I want to run my classroom, whereby: The class is a democratic and informal community of learners. The student is a contributor and a problem solver who is responsible for her own learning. The student is encouraged to question everything. In Vygotsky's Social Cultural Theory, the teacher's role is that of a knowledgeable co-learner, motivator and class activity designer.
"Teach the whole child" or "learning the world of the child." This is the multicultural component of my teaching philosophy, where I believe it is important to know the ethnic backgrounds, culture and traditions, socioeconomic status, religion, hobbies, and home life of my students. Until I truly know the children, I cannot teach them effectively. Through community building activities and "getting to know you" exercises, the students will learn about each other. They will appreciate the differences in their classmates, and be unified by their similarities.
My philosophy of teaching highlights creativity, flexibility, an understanding of children, and a teacher's ability to see the world through children's eyes. I want the students to enjoy learning a concept as much as I enjoy teaching it. Enthusiasm is contagious. I know that my ability to see the world through children's eyes has been keenly developed via motherhood. I see the wonder, the curiosity, the thirst to know, the desire to create and learn in my son and daughter's eyes every day. As a teacher, I will encourage and nurture the awe and wonderment of the world as the child experiences it, one science experiment, one journal entry, one art project, and one math game at a time.