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Why I Teach
Nineteen years ago my Social Studies teacher asked our class to write a letter to ourselves in the future. We wrote down our thoughts about life and our career aspirations. We sealed it in an envelope and addressed it to ourselves. My teacher at the time, Mr. Fox, mailed it to all of his students ten years later. I admired Mr fox because he was funny, intelligent, and made us look forward to every class. I wrote to myself, "I want to make school fun all day, just like Mr. Fox.” Though I may not have expressed it to him as a rebellious teenager, Mr. Fox helped me recognize my academic potential. He taught me a lot about maturity and served as a positive role model. Upon receiving that letter, I called him immediately. He didn't pick up.
I may not have been as impactful on Mr. Fox's life as he was on mine, but his impressions still stand with me today. Mr. Fox connected with us. He listened to us. He valued us. He helped us laugh, play, and learn. He inspired us through fun activities and his enthusiasm for history. He empowered his students to express their opinions and respect the opinions of others. He taught us that it’s beneficial to have differing points of view. We learned that sometimes a little disagreement promotes growth. We learned how to respect each other’s perspectives in order to be part of a global community.
Today, I use his philosophy in my classes and intertwine them with what I’ve learned in my 9 years of teaching. I strongly care about students’ psychological and socioemotional needs. I give them autonomy in their learning by helping them choose their own course of study. We believe that education is life itself, not a preparation for life. My students and I have one-on-one meetings once a term to connect and strategize to their learning paths. I listen to their successes and challenges and am empathetic to their cause. My students describe me as zestful and full of energy. They say my passion for learning is contagious. Many of them often come back to me after they graduate. I ask them “ what do you remember most from our class?” They often tell me about one of our class simulations that were memorable and meaningful.
I believe school should be the happiest part of a student's day. It’s a teacher's responsibility to bring that energy to the whole school environment. Students won’t learn unless they are happy, so the first thing I try to do every class makes them smile. My hope is that when students run out of school at 3 PM, it’s not because they don’t like class, but because they can’t wait to tell their parents what they learned that day.
Philosophy of Education
Teaching isn't just my career, it's my lifestyle. I spend 90% of my week on-campus fostering professional relationships with teachers and students that will last a lifetime.
My first role in a school was as a teachers' assistant in the special education department. I was tasked with helping 5 students in grade 6 throughout the day. One student needed far more support than the others. That student suffered from Asperger's Disease. He learned differently. He was talented and capable in many other aspects of life that his peers weren’t. He couldn't make eye contact with classmates or teachers, but he could draw an indistinguishable model of an “Angry Birds” book cover. That 6th-grade student taught me more than anything I learned in graduate school. He taught me to believe in him.
That experience helped me develop the foundation of my educational philosophy: Empathy. Teachers have the power to lift the child's spirits and make them feel a sense of worth. A student having a bad day can quickly change our daily objectives. We remedy this by providing an emotional check in, playing a joke on ourselves to make them laugh, or being a good listener.
We also serve to protect children. A child’s physical, social, and emotional well-being are of the utmost important to their livelihood and the community. A strong advisory program is one way to protect our students from the rollercoaster of life. Schools are a place for students to build their purpose, foster relationships, share emotions, and learn values. We are there to help them develop a sense of self-worth and identity. They should feel safe to share their challenges and success. They can embrace failure as a means of learning, and become the best possible versions of themselves. A school is a safe place.
Philosophy of Leadership
School should also be a place where teachers feel safe. A positive staff rapport and strong sense of community are essential ingredients to the recipe of happiness. Happy teachers mean happy students. I believe in providing our staff with the means to be their best possible selves. Like their students, teachers want to learn and understand the way things work. Personal development is just as important to teachers as professional development. I believe an investment into someone's well being can reflect on their performance in the class. Ensuring our staff have keep a positive mindsets can make a good school great.
Having "crucial conversations" can help build this environment where everyone strives to be their best and help the most. Respecting and interacting with other as experts will help build a professional atmosphere. Leading is doing all these great things together. Teacher- leaders should be encouraged. A growth mindset of administration is appreciated by all teachers. We are all in this together. Let's do what best for the school and kids. An old African proverb states, “ If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Teaching isn't just my career, it's my lifestyle. I spend 90% of my week on-campus fostering professional relationships with teachers and students that will last a lifetime.
My first role in a school was as a teachers' assistant in the special education department. I was tasked with helping 5 students in grade 6 throughout the day. One student needed far more support than the others. That student suffered from Asperger's Disease. He learned differently. He was talented and capable in many other aspects of life that his peers weren’t. He couldn't make eye contact with classmates or teachers, but he could draw an indistinguishable model of an “Angry Birds” book cover. That 6th-grade student taught me more than anything I learned in graduate school. He taught me to believe in him.
That experience helped me develop the foundation of my educational philosophy: Empathy. Teachers have the power to lift the child's spirits and make them feel a sense of worth. A student having a bad day can quickly change our daily objectives. We remedy this by providing an emotional check in, playing a joke on ourselves to make them laugh, or being a good listener.
We also serve to protect children. A child’s physical, social, and emotional well-being are of the utmost important to their livelihood and the community. A strong advisory program is one way to protect our students from the rollercoaster of life. Schools are a place for students to build their purpose, foster relationships, share emotions, and learn values. We are there to help them develop a sense of self-worth and identity. They should feel safe to share their challenges and success. They can embrace failure as a means of learning, and become the best possible versions of themselves. A school is a safe place.
Philosophy of Leadership
School should also be a place where teachers feel safe. A positive staff rapport and strong sense of community are essential ingredients to the recipe of happiness. Happy teachers mean happy students. I believe in providing our staff with the means to be their best possible selves. Like their students, teachers want to learn and understand the way things work. Personal development is just as important to teachers as professional development. I believe an investment into someone's well being can reflect on their performance in the class. Ensuring our staff have keep a positive mindsets can make a good school great.
Having "crucial conversations" can help build this environment where everyone strives to be their best and help the most. Respecting and interacting with other as experts will help build a professional atmosphere. Leading is doing all these great things together. Teacher- leaders should be encouraged. A growth mindset of administration is appreciated by all teachers. We are all in this together. Let's do what best for the school and kids. An old African proverb states, “ If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”