"Teaching is about being able to pass one’s knowledge onto another, the challenge is figuring out the best way to pass that knowledge on." -Kerrilee Niles

Teaching Philosophy

    I have always believed in trying to connect with each student.  We are very used to teaching the old American way, by having the students sitting at their desks, while the teacher presents the information to the students and the students are to sit and absorb the information.  Over time we have come to realized that this doesn’t work for everyone.  This is especially true for special education students of all levels.  Some students learn best though visual aides, others do well by listening or reading the lesson, and then there are some that need the hand on experience.  I have found that the best way to be able to do this is to have stations for the students that produce different types of learning. Anytime I have done this the students’ response was incredible to watch, they asked questions and loved the fact that they weren’t sitting in their chairs reading or listening to a lecture.  This rings true for assessment as well, when assessing student’s knowledge I believe it is best to include a variety of assessment into the classroom.  CBA and authentic assessment are the two I believe to be the most efficient and fair way to assess my students.  CBA provides constant feedback on my instruction as well as student progress.  Authentic assessment provides alternative choices for all types of learner to show what they have learned.

    I believe in a good communication system between parents/guardians and I, is essential for a student’s success.  Either communicating by weekly phone calls, communication books, or e-mails, but from my experience this is the best way to be on the same page about the student’s success or problem areas.  I will set up a mode of communication that is best for the parents and also building a class website that posts information, permission slips, homework and project assignments as well as some class work the students are working on.  This gives the parents a chance to know what exactly is going on inside their child’s class.

    It has come to my attention this year that when working with students of all abilities and ages, especially the younger grades, it is important to incorporate social skill training.  It doesn’t have to be formal, but modeling and talking about the correct way to play with and interact with others.  This could just be as simple as teaching how to take turns, recognizing feelings or using manors, but I think it is an important addition to my classroom.

    My main goal is to be able to teach students in a way that they will remember the knowledge.  I do not want them to forget everything they learned from my class in elementary school by the time they reach high school.  My plan is to find that way to teach and relate to each class every year.  If that means changing lesson plans every year and continuously searching for new methods than that is what I will do. Incorporating technology, building learning stations/centers and integrating movement (i.e. gross motor breaks: jumping jacks, toe touches etc.) into my lessons will help create fun and engaging learning environment.