Thoughts on Teaching
A classroom is a community of learners. Everyone is important and everyone belongs. I believe that learning can be fun and it stems from a positive and welcoming environment. When students feel safe and secure, their minds are open to new ideas.
A classroom is a community of learners. Everyone is important and everyone belongs. I believe that learning can be fun and it stems from a positive and welcoming environment. When students feel safe and secure, their minds are open to new ideas.
Successful students are fluent readers. Reading competency is the basis for life-long learning. I believe that a solid reading program includes phonemic and phonological awareness, systematic phonics instruction, as well as whole group reading which focuses on fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
Reading and writing are flip sides of a coin. Good writers choose the best words to create an image in their readers' minds and good readers notice the qualities of a piece of literature that make the writing engaging. Writing is a creative endeavor, but it can be explicitly taught using modeling, specific formats and graphic organizers.
A solid foundation in mathematics is essential for all students, regardless of their future focus. Playing with numbers is fun, and should be seen as a rewarding activity instead of a chore. The new common core curriculum emphasizes understanding versus rote memorization. There are many ways to solve a problem; exploring different ways of reaching an answer deepens student comprehension.
As a teacher, my goal is to ensure that each student is working within his or her zone of proximal development with support matched to the needs of the learner. In this way, students continue to progress, achieving a little more each day than the day before.
Reading and writing are flip sides of a coin. Good writers choose the best words to create an image in their readers' minds and good readers notice the qualities of a piece of literature that make the writing engaging. Writing is a creative endeavor, but it can be explicitly taught using modeling, specific formats and graphic organizers.
A solid foundation in mathematics is essential for all students, regardless of their future focus. Playing with numbers is fun, and should be seen as a rewarding activity instead of a chore. The new common core curriculum emphasizes understanding versus rote memorization. There are many ways to solve a problem; exploring different ways of reaching an answer deepens student comprehension.
As a teacher, my goal is to ensure that each student is working within his or her zone of proximal development with support matched to the needs of the learner. In this way, students continue to progress, achieving a little more each day than the day before.