My TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 

 

Students do not come to us as blank sheets of paper to be written upon;

they come to us as unique stories and it is our job to

help them discover their best narrative.

 

        Students are first and foremost people. They have thoughts and ideas that deserve to be heard. Some of them have no trouble finding their voice. Others need help not only voicing their thoughts, but believing their thoughts are worth hearing. I believe a constructivist approach to a progressive classroom, with a healthy dose of perennialism thrown in for good measure, creates an environment where students are able to apply their unique ideas and talents to traditional subjects in order to grow into exceptional thinkers and doers.

 

        Constructivism’s learner-centered approach of interacting with the world around us in order to formulate a deeper understanding of fundamentals as well as our place in the grand scheme of things appeals to my appreciation of students as unique individuals. I look forward to creating a structured environment that allows students to approach problems from many different perspectives and then drawing them into discussions that will hopefully allow them to appreciate ideas and viewpoints from their classmates that are new to them.

 

        Rather than rely exclusively on paper and lecture models of learning, I believe the best curriculum incorporates tactile opportunities for hands-on learning as often as possible. Interaction and experimentation helps a student find the questions they need to have answered in order to fully understand a concept.

 

        Each year, a new group of students will present opportunities for me to discover their needs and talents, and then incorporate their interests into my lesson plans in ways that will cause the subject matter presented to grow and remain vibrant.  I look forward to all the ways I will learn from them as I strive to find answers to their questions.