Planning Instruction
Teaching Philosophy

As a teacher, I must understand how students learn. I must
create a productive learning environment in my classroom and understand
how to connect past knowledge and new discoveries.

It is my responsibility to develop strategies for involving all students in meaningful learning activities; to assess their strengths and weaknesses; and to provide students with structure and modeling as well as freedom and responsibilities. I believe students have an inherent interest in learning that can be tapped through a student-centered approach to teaching. As Kagan (Kagan, 1971) points out a child's own "need to know" is insatiable and continually forces the child to rearrange and construct meaning from information. Therefore, a good teacher can make a significant difference in the way children see themselves, their world, and learning in general.

Children possess diverse learning styles and skill levels that can be enhanced through a variety of teaching strategies and a rich collection of information sources. Instructional strategies include inquiry and cooperative learning activities and participative instructional methodologies. Children will be encouraged to use language as an important tool for accomplishing goals and solving problems.

The classroom is a complex social environment that prepares children to be informed and productive members of our democratic system. Students, parents, guardians, and colleagues will find my classroom a caring community that fosters trust, respect, empathy, collaboration, and life-long learning.

Resources:

Dewey, J. (1907). The School and the life of the child, The School and society (pp 47-73). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Hirsch, E.D., Jr. (1996). The Schools we need and why we don't have them. New York: Doubleday.
Kagan, J. (1971). Understanding children. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Kozol, J. (1967). Death at an early age. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Ornstein, A.C. & Lasley, T. J. (2000). The Art of teaching, Strategies for effective teaching. (3rd ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.
Postman, N. (1995). The End of education: Redefining the value of school. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

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