"Teaching methods, bulletin boards, and textbooks will all eventually be discarded, but love is everlasting."
                                   -Author unknown
 
 

    My philosophy of teaching is summed up in this small, yet meaningful quote.  I feel that education is a lifelong process; it is never-ending. A teacher is not only responsible for teaching students, but for learning from them as well.  I love teaching children, because when they really learn what you have taught them, it shows up on their faces.  Sure, bulletin boards and other classroom décor will light – up a child’s face, but that is lost once the new wears off.  Education stays engraved permanently upon their souls, and is everlasting.  Education is a very important part of a child’s life, as well as an adult, elder, or anyone.  It is constant, non-stop.
     I think that teaching is not only informing the students of what they need to know, but helping each and every member of your class, learn it, live it and most importantly understand it.  It is my responsibility to make sure that my lessons encompass the knowledge they need, and to make sure that I am teaching it in a way that they understand and comprehend what I am saying.  All children deserve a chance, and it is my commitment to allow all of them that chance, or chances.  I will never “label” a child as a waste of my time.  No matter how long or how much effort I have to donate to that child, I will in order for him/her to get that chance that they so greatly deserve.  If it takes 7 reading groups, I will do it.  I do not want a child to feel stupid, left out or unimportant.  If it requires 8 spelling groups, I will make sure that all my students are learning on their level, and not feeling frustration or incapability.  I will meet the needs of all students.
     I want to assess them individually to see where they are and what they need from me in order to learn.  I will use the spelling assessments, Word Recognition Inventory (WRI), and Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) for older students, and the ERSI reading inventory and spelling assessments for younger students.  I will make sure that I know what level each student in my class is on.  I will teach them on that level.  In order to me to be able to do this, I will have to structure my class so that they will be able to work on their own while I work with another group.  However, I will always be available to my students, no matter what I am doing or where I am.  This includes being available at home, by email, or telephone.  I feel that it is important for your students to feel like they can ask you for help, or contact you when something is wrong.
    I believe strongly in using literature circles and Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DRTA) in my reading curriculum.  I believe that it is important to have a balanced reading curriculum, using both whole language, such as literature circles, and phonemic awareness, like using Basal Books.  Literature circles encompass so much of the curriculum goals and standards.  I think it is a wonderful way for the students to learn from reading and from each other.  Learning from peers is extremely important in my opinion.  I think children can accept and understand what their peers are feeling or how they look at something.  It is on their level.  I feel that Literature circles allow you, as the teacher, to have control of the class, yet give the students time to do it on their own, and think about it on their own.  They also allow you to watch and observe groups to see where they are in thinking skills and to see if anyone is “misplaced” in a group.  Literature circles are a wonderful method to integrate history or social studies into your curriculum.  The unit plan I did for literature circles, integrates 1600’s and 1700’s into their literature circle reading.  I think literature circles are a wonderful opportunity for reading instruction, as well as other areas of the curriculum.
 My discipline is of an authoritative style.  I believe in rules and standards, but with those rules and standards I have a job along with the students.  It is their job to follow my rules and live up to my standards, but I also want them to have rules and standards for me as well.  I want to know from my students what they expect from me, and how I can benefit them the most.  I also have the responsibility of explaining why I have those rules and standards for them.  I do not believe in answering the question “why?” with, “Just because I said so.”  No matter what age, everyone deserves an explanation.  Also, I want my students to respect me, but in order for me to get that wanted respect, I have to respect my students.  I want them to be able to share with me, not act out in class.  I want them to be able to tell me when I make them mad, and I will tell them when they make me angry.  I do not believe in yelling at students, because to me, the louder my voice, the less they will listen.
 I understand and accept the fact that I am in a profession that requires a lot of my students, and me.  I also understand, that I can handle the requirements for myself, and I will help my students meet what is required of them.  I feel that the most important lessons I can teach a child is how to think and how to love yourself.  The rest they will learn as I teach them.  I believe in allowing a child the opportunity to work on it and try to learn it so that it makes sense to them.
 Just as the opening quote sums up my teaching philosophy, this little yet powerful quote sums up my opinion on “labeling” children: “All children have gifts, but open them at different times.”  -Patricia Polacco