I believe that…

 

• All students should have the opportunity to learn in a comfortable and safe environment.

 

As a teacher, it is crucial to create a learning community that allows learners to share their ideas openly, learn from their mistakes, and respect others. My students and I do this by establishing classroom norms and expectations that make the classroom a pleasant and enjoyable place for students to be outside of their homes. By creating a warm and nurturing learning environment, my class becomes a place where children do not mind coming five days a week.

 

• Students deserve an education tailored to their learning styles, strengths, and needs.

 

All students are different and should be treated as individuals. I must understand how my kids learn and differentiate instruction to support their strengths and cater to their needs. Because students are unique learners, it is my job to teach the same content in different ways that allow students to learn the material in a manner that will enable them to succeed at their fullest potential. To do this, first, I have to get to my know students including, their interests and the types of activities they find enjoyable.

 

• Learning becomes more meaningful for learners when they contribute to their own knowledge.

 

Young learners are intrigued by the world around them and are naturally curious about things.  By having opportunities for effective inquiry-based learning, students can form questions, collect information, and develop solutions into knowledge. As a primary grades teacher, it is essential for my young learners to use their curiosity to build a strong foundation for their learning.  

 

• Students learn from hands-on experiences and using their personal experiences to expand their knowledge.

 

It is easy for students to think of school as the only place for learning. When students can reflect on their personal experiences, they are able to make meaningful connections between the things they learn in school and the one thing that is most familiar to them, their everyday lives. One of the benefits of hands-on learning is that it gives learners real-world applications for education, and it keeps students engaged in their learning.

 

• Encouragement and love are powerful tools in students’ success.

 

Sometimes students need to hear when they are doing a good job, or they may need to listen to words of affirmation when they begin to struggle with material for them to not give up.  When students know they have a special place in their teacher’s heart, they feel loved, students know their teacher cares about their success and they will want to make their teacher proud which could possibly lead to intrinsic motivation.  

 

• Assessments are valuable.

 

Assessments allow teachers to see where their scholars are in their learning. Depending on what students are learning and students’ learning style should determine how they are assessed. Interviews, as well as other assessments,  are beneficial in understanding how students arrive at an answer in addition to what their response is. Teachers should use assessment results to make changes to their plans to further students’ learning.

 

• Having an open mind and being understanding are essential traits of outstanding teachers.

 

Many times, learners enter the classroom with a background of experiences that teachers may not know they have. Many teachers also have an idea of how they want their students to behave. Sometimes, teachers must be flexible with this idea and considerate of scholars’ experiences and personalities when creating a classroom culture. By understanding students’ backgrounds, teachers can understand the choices students make and why they make them.

 

 

• There is always room for growth.

 

Teachers are students too! As a teacher, there are always new things I can learn to help better my teaching. I can do this through furthering my own education, professional development, learning from and building relationships with experienced as well as beginner teachers, learning from my students, and frequent self-reflections.