Who are You? Better Yet...Who are Your Friends???

This is my support team. This is who I go to when all else fails. This is my base and my inspiration.

I got a lot of things out of my credentialing program, but these five girls are by far the best! I believe that making connections and learning from your peers is one of the goals of any good program and we got this tenfold! I look up to these girls and respect them deeply. Each one of them has priceless experiences and a wealth of knowledge that they are ALWAYS willing to share with me. They are all older than me and inspire me daily to be a better teacher and person.

Sometimes it is hard when you're the new teacher in a school and other teachers are bitter and/or jaded. They try to give you "advice" like ...don't work too hard... or just give them worksheets. One teacher once told me, "You don't get paid enough to do all that you're trying to do." Can you believe that!? Me neither. But what's scariest is when you catch yourself following that "advice" and only doing the minimum- which will inevitably happen if you surround yourself with people like that.

I choose to surround myself with people who WANT to better the world. When I feel like I'm slipping over to the dark side, I hang out with my girls. They remind me of the type of teacher I want to be. They encourage me to be exceptional- not mediocre. I don't even know if they realize all this, but nevertheless I continue to soak up their radiance like a sponge! They all are working so so so hard to become better teachers and are working their tushies off in their Master's programs. So, this is for:

• Carol, who is always happy and is constantly trying to better herself.
• Gladys, who gives practical advice and breaks it down for everyone to understand.
• Amanda, who believes in every child and remembers EVERY strategy we have studied.
• Nicole, who has an endless supply of stories and examples to help with any problem.
• Sujata, who tells it like it is and leads by example.
• and all of the other students and professors who have touched my life and made me better than I was. THANK YOU!

Again, I could probably write a novel on our experiences together...but I'll spare you the goopy details. I just want you to think about who is in your life. Who inspires you? Are you surrounding yourself with positive colleagues who will push you on, not hold you back? Think about it.

xxOOxx

Philosophy of Education- Get one!

Every teacher.. uhh, scratch that... every GOOD teacher has a philosophy behind their madness. We must understand how and why we, as a individuals, teach children. Some people believe in B.F. Skinner's Behavioral theories while their colleagues utilize Chomsky's cognitivism. It doesn't matter who's right... just that you have your own theory. Therefore, you shouldn't steal mine! I worked hard on it and well.... IT'S MINE! Besides, I know you'll be able to come up with your own better one because you're not me and you have wonderful ideas in that little skull of yours. That being said, here's my Philosophy of Education:

I believe each child is unique…
Every child should be treated as an individual. Children require a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which they will be able to grow and mature intellectually, physically, emotionally, and socially. In order to provide this type of nurturing environment, I believe teachers should be attentive and responsive to their students. By knowing the strengths and weaknesses of students on an individual basis, the curriculum may be tailored to meet the needs of the classroom as a whole. This is possible by utilizing the many learning techniques such as visual, audio and kinesthetic methods. Using an individualized plan will help the students achieve more from the classroom experience and will help prevent students from becoming unmotivated.

I believe learning is supposed to be fun…
What is the point of learning something if it has no relevance to real-life and is not entertaining? No adult has the motivation to learn something that they can not apply in their own lives. Therefore, I see no reason for a child’s motivation to be any different. I believe that if children are taught that learning is fun, they will become life long learners. That is my goal in teaching: to create life long learners. By including hands-on activities and real-life examples, bland materials in textbooks become relevant and exciting. Providing students access to hands-on activities that reinforce the lesson creates an opportunity for discovery and the growth of knowledge to take place. My hope is that my students will enjoy the process of learning as much as I enjoy teaching.

I believe teachers are to guide and inform…
When teachers enter the classroom, they are expected to impart knowledge upon the students. Much of this knowledge comes from textbooks, workbooks and certain other materials that are required materials in the classroom. However, I believe that that is not the only material that the teacher is responsible for teaching. It is great if the student memorizes the preamble to the Constitution, but what if she forgets who wrote it or when? It is the job of the teacher to provide her students with the skills and resources that are required from the world outside the classroom. This includes research, study, social, critical thinking, and survival skills. It is important that students are able to find and research reliable facts and data on their own. This may be accomplished in many ways such as by utilizing resources like a dictionary, a thesaurus, an encyclopedia, or a computer.

I believe teachers never stop learning…
There is a fine line between teacher and student because the teacher never ceases being a student herself. The love of teaching goes hand-in-hand with the love of learning. A life-long teacher is a life-long student. In order to consider ones self truly educated, no amount of learning can ever be enough. It is stated best by an ancient Chinese proverb: “The more you know, the less you understand.” A teacher learns from colleagues, parents, and especially the students. Students can provide teachers with information from the cultures they come from. They provide instant feedback about a topic or idea, consequently opening our minds to new points of view every day. Students are wonderful in reminding me to stop and smell the roses, kick a soccer ball, or laugh until my belly aches. I will never cease to learn from the many children I encounter.

xxOOxx