Answers+to+questions+about+education

Answers to questions about education While I have not had my own classroom yet, every experience I go through from substituting to Title I to afterschool to being a mom affords me ample opportunity to expand and practice skills that I will use in my own classroom. Teaching is not a job or even a profession to me – for me it is a way of life and I am constantly making note of activities, ideas, and resources that my students will benefit from. My deepest desire is to teach and my greatest hope is that I will be given the opportunity to showcase my abilities in your district.

= Educational Philosophy =  My duty is to provide a safe, secure environment where students can learn to learn about themselves, the subject matter, and the world. This backdrop is created through rules and routines set up early in the year and regularly reinforced. Predictability creates a place where taking risks in learning feels safe for the student. Activities are designed to meet individual student needs and learning styles allowing all students to be successful. It is the knowledge of how to learn and how to use information to enhance their lives that will provide a valuable education for my students.

**Describe the skills or attributes you believe are necessary to be an outstanding teacher.**

 I believe that education occurs both in and out of the academic setting and it is my responsibility to provide my students with the tools to take advantage of any and all learning situations. It is the knowledge of how to learn and how to use information to enhance their lives that is of utmost importance to my students. As their teacher, it is necessary that I provide those skills through the teaching of curriculum materials and classroom activities. A secondary responsibility is to help my students use their learning to help better the society in which they live.

 In order for children to learn they need to have a physically and psychologically safe environment where they can take risks to gain experience and knowledge. Safety in a classroom is created by setting rules and routines early in the year and reinforcing those rules and routines until the class can maintain momentum through the bumpy changes in the school year. Predictability creates a comfort zone in which taking risks is a safe enterprise for the student. Activities need to be designed to meet individual student needs and learning styles allowing all students to be successful.

 The teacher’s duty is to provide a safe, secure environment within which students can learn to learn about themselves, the subject matter, and the world. We, as teachers, need to nourish our students, help them exercise their wings, and then push them from the nest so they may SOAR!

=How would you address a wide range of skills and abilities in your classroom? =

 Managing a classroom requires that a teacher be proactive, flexible, and insightful as she/he develops techniques to avoid student boredom and confusion – the two major causes of behavior problems. I have had extensive practice in applying my philosophy to various groups while working at the Boys & Girls Club of the Lakes Region, during my internship placements, with Project EXTRA! and as a paraprofessional in the classroom. When planning activities, I take the time to see where I can prepare or set up ahead of time. I also look at how materials can be most efficiently handed out or picked up and manage the student flow around the classroom during that time. I also try to have assignments that will engage the students when there are down times in an activity. Key to developing lessons and activities is getting to know your students and providing personal connections to help encourage their interest and engagement. While it is almost impossible to meet every student’s needs in every activity, it is also imperative that we as teachers keep our students’ skills and abilities in mind during our planning over the course of several connected activities. Another place where we can address individual needs and interests is in providing choices for projects, alternative assignments, enrichments, and how we allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the lessons. One last key to classroom management is to try to keep things fun so the students are inspired to participate and learn. Albert Einstein said “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” I wholeheartedly believe that we cannot force kids to learn but we can help fertilize the ground and plant the seeds that will develop into that learning. This all works in an atmosphere where the kids feel that they are valued and respected.