TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

I came. I taught. I learned.

Social studies is an extremely powerful subject that crosses into almost every other core

subject. It is essential to helping students understand the world around them and how they fit into it. Students are able to broaden their educational path through studying the social sciences, because they consist of analytical thinking, questioning the norm, and other important skills.
 

Reading and being able to demonstrate comprehension by writing essays and other forms of feedback play a huge role in social studies. Math and science are often incorporated as well;

students frequently are required to analyze various charts and graphs within many topics.

Integrating reading and writing into social studies is synonymous with the subject itself. Social studies is full of primary documents, charts, graphs, etc that are interpreted, analyzed, and scrutinized. Once the student has comprehended the information, they are expected to express their view on the subject material through various forms of writing. Not only do they have to demonstrate that they have gained the knowledge, but they have to justify their position on the new information frequently.

I have had the fortune to teach extremely diverse classrooms in the past, including special

education with a variety of learning abilities. Differentiating instruction was a daily occurrence for me for several years, and I pride myself on doing it well. Lessons are differentiated based off of the individual’s needs- sometimes that means providing physical copies of the notes, modified assignments/tests, etc. My classroom management style is the  “tough but fair” approach. I enforce the rules that I have laid out at the beginning of the year, and ensure that the students understand the rules are applied to all students equally. I think it is important for the students to see that the rules are applied consistently and deliberately, and not wishy-washy. However, there are always exceptions and specific circumstances do need to be taken into consideration. Overall, I believe I create positive learning environments that are constructive and comforting to my students based off of my management style.
 

I use various teaching methods, but generally like to include as much kinesthetic learning as possible. I think it is extremely important for students to be actively engaged in lessons, and often that involves physical activities. Students are empowered to take responsibility of their education when you make them feel apart of something. I am a proponent of classroom discussions as well. History especially is derived from a creative process through analyzing historical events, and having in depth conversations with the whole class allows everyone to grow and contribute to different perspectives.
 

I am extremely committed to providing a learning environment that is both comfortable

and challenging for my students. An environment that empowers the students and the teacher to

in the pursuit of education. I utilize various methods to assess students’ growth to ensure all

learning styles are considered. Most importantly, I respect my students and prioritize a healthy

learning environment where students feel free to express themselves.