Teaching Philosophy

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Teaching Philosophy

• Christina Chapan

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Famous Quotes

• No one has yet fully realized the wealth of
  sympathy, kindness, and generosity hidden in the
  soul of a child.  The effort of every true
  education should be to unlock that treasure. -
  Emma Golmam

• The art of teaching is the art of assisting
  discovery."Mark Van Doren

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• I believe in teaching skills that will enable
  students to grow academically, socially and
  emotionally. I identify with the pragmatist
  approach to education especially in the area of
  personalized instruction. If a student does not
  understand an academic skill a good teacher will
  find another way to teach the concept.

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This also makes me a constructivist as I draw my
students interest back to their learning. The
way one student learns does not always fit a
certain method of instruction and a good teacher
adapts his or her lessons to that learners
abilities and interests. It is important to
listen to parents, students, and staff and I
often ask for feedback. I also believe that body
language is as important as what someone says.
Finally, I believe that all teaching should be
done according to the districts standards and
objectives. I use methods that will enhance my
students learning and performance in a classroom
as well as outside of it.
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Discipline

• Teaching involves a balance between a nurturing
  and disciplined environment. It is extremely
  important to get control of a class, but I also
  think that all learning should be tempered with
  kindness and understanding. In my classroom,
  everyone is treated fairly, and discipline for
  one student is not always the same for all. I
  believe a positive, easy to understand behavior
  system with individual and class wide rewards for
  good behavior is most effective in a classroom
  environment.

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Behavior System

• I often use individual rewards giving students a
  small token reward, positive communication with
  parents or extra free time to reinforce a
  positive behavior. Time outs, communication with
  home, and loss of classroom privileges are
  consequences for breaking a classroom rule. I
  believe that most students can be well-behaved
  when they are engaged and excited about their
  learning.

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Curriculum

• I am a teacher who believes that not every child
  learns in the same manner and that instruction
  should start with the curriculum and then should
  be adapted to interests, needs, and developmental
  levels of each one of the students. Gardners
  theory of multiple intelligences is an effective
  method of instruction because they are designed
  to engage students on a variety of levels.
  Visual, verbal, and kinesthetic learners can
  benefit in a lesson based on Gardners theories.

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Language Arts

• Additionally, I believe writing across the
  curriculum should be taught with a six-trait
  method, focusing on one or two of the various
  traits of organization, voice, ideas, word
  choice, conventions, and fluency in each process
  writing projects. Students should have
  opportunities to write published articles that
  are shared with the school community.

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• I feel that a student should have more than one
  method available to him or her to solve a
  problem. I do this by having my students learn to
  read with both phonics and a whole word approach.
  I like to do more than what is required by a
  school district. I believe that technology is a
  great tool, but using it should never take away
  learning from the core curriculum.

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Curriculum Continued

• Cooperative learning gives students opportunities
  to work as a group to complete classroom tasks.
  Learning math, language arts, and science can be
  made more enjoyable through the use of thematic
  units. Learning should be taught with paper and
  pencil, but also with manipulatives and movement
  games. I often integrate cooking in my math and
  science classes. Special speakers come into my
  classroom and reinforce curriculum as often as
  appropriate, for instance when teaching a unit on
  weather or cultural awareness.

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Every child can learn.

• All students should have exposure to traditional
  and contemporary methods of learning, and the
  ideal educational environment is one where each
  student can learn at his or her ability level.

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• My job does not end when the school day ends,
  and a good teacher understands that it is
  important to be a part of the community of
  learners. I do this by being involved with
  extracurricular activities, after school care,
  and working at the local recreational community
  center.

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Final Thoughts

• I find that the greatest pleasure I get in
  teaching is helping a child learn a difficult
  concept or changing a challenging behavior.
  Teaching is a process that can never be totally
  perfect. I find each day challenging, yet
  fulfilling, as I attempt to create, modify, and
  adapt each lesson to my students academic needs
  and abilities. Everyday I teach will continue to
  be fresh and exciting for me. He who dares to
  teach must never cease to learn. Anonymous