My Teaching Philosophy

I believe in the power of classroom communities. They take time to build and yet are necessary for critical thinking and understanding. It builds trust between all participants in the classroom. I believe this is how the school year should begin.

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Establishing a community before other academic topics are introduced is an important step in building trust. We, as teachers, show the students that they come first and that we care about all aspects of their lives. Teachers can learn from students, as students learn from us. We cannot expect our students to be engaged in the curriculum without first prioritizing getting to know who they are outside the classroom. Communities exist everywhere outside of school walls. It is only natural to let those communities combine and grow within these walls.

I believe that communities are filled with diverse cultures finding similarities in their ways of life. They share and open up their hearts to other members, realizing they are not quite as different from each other as they may have initially believed. I believe that communities also accept and celebrate what makes them unique. When building communities, students show who they are as learners. They show how they participate in discussions and reveal their methods of absorbing and applying information. They show what environment they learn best in and how they engage with one another and discuss their methods for success in these environments.

We, as a classroom community, share our values, voices and victories. These students grow and their knowledge flourishes as they hold hands and help each other through the curriculum. They learn what is important to one another and appreciate their classmate’s contribution to the community. I believe in teacher student partnerships. Teacher authority can dictate how far this community grows and when it stops. Partnerships change the teacher perspective. They break the barrier between teachers and students. We now stand on the same side as the students, hand in hand with the rest of the community helping each other learn. Teachers should not be standing against the grain of the rest of the class.

I believe we are all learners and teachers gathering in the same space to share our ideas and life experiences. For this to happen successfully, we, as teachers, must be willing to change our perspective.  I believe that after a community has been established, students can participate in hard topics more comfortably. They can discuss current events and injustices in the world. They can problem solve and show how valuable they are to the rest of the communities outside the classroom walls. They can strive to make differences in the political climate of this nation. I believe this depth of classroom conversation cannot be achieved without the power of community. I believe it the foundation of critical learning. Students will not question how they fit in, or if they belong when they see their life and their learning is valued here.