Teaching Philosophy

Teaching the Next Generation

When teaching in a classroom, there are three main elements that I focus on and develop. It is important to me that students are gaining new knowledge through their experiences. Additionally, I want to establish a positive classroom culture where students feel safe to discuss their ideas with one another and make mistakes. Not only that, but I want to bring in research that is culturally relevant to the students and demonstrate to them the importance of what they are learning. 

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Something that I practice through my teachings is constructivism; the idea that the learner builds on their knowledge of the world through their experiences and reflections. Students are engaged with the material and retain more information when they are practicing active learning or inquiry-based learning. I have seen sparks of interest in students when a problem is presented or curiosity is provoked and they engage with materials to observe what happens next or how things work. The problems presented to these students are most-effective in groups where students can bounce ideas off each other and fill in gaps of knowledge together. In order to do this effectively, there must be a positive classroom culture established. Students have to feel safe sharing their ideas with each other and myself. I strive to establish a culture in the classroom where the students know that it is okay to be wrong and do not see this as a negative aspect but rather as a step in getting closer to their full understanding. Lastly, it is not only important that we have an established culture inside our classroom, but that we take our lessons and make them relevant to the world outside. Establishing a connection between what is going on in the world and what is happening in the classroom encourages learning both inside and outside of the classroom. This can include performing inquiries on problems that the community is facing or ways that we can improve our very own community.

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My classroom values my students as they are the center of attention. I work towards them gaining new knowledge everyday that they step foot in my classroom. It is important to me that they feel empowered and are taking charge of their own learning. I want them to view learning as an enjoyable experience that sparks interest in the world around them and encourages them to perform their own inquiries.