The Classroom Environment
I want my students to feel at home when they walk into my classroom each day. It is a safe place to make mistakes and step outside of their comfort zones. Creativity is key! In our classroom, we are a team. We work together to solve problems and we come up with unique solutions that allow us to brainstorm and step outside of the box. I plan to use a lot of hands-on and student-led learning. I will be their guide on the side, but the students will learn that they are ultimately in charge of their learning. My goal for my students is to teach them to be lifelong learners and to prepare them for the future classrooms, jobs, and opportunities that they will face. |
Methods and Goals
Oftentimes students struggle in a classroom without variety. A key component to any student's success is being able to adapt to different situations and become flexible when working in different environments. I plan to provide more than just written tests and assignments in my classroom. Group projects, posters, and engaging activities are more up my alley. A few ideas that I would use in my classroom are having "secret readers" come in for story time, STEM units such as planting flowers and vegetables, and outdoor writer's workshop. These are engaging activities for kids that allow them to more easily remember content as well as overall mood boosters for everyone involved. Students will know the expectations during these activities, and I will use these to monitor progress as well as test my students' abilities in content areas. I hope that I can inspire students to be their best self, always have a creative and open mind, and know that through knowledge and determination they can go anywhere in life. |
My Inspiration
I've had the privilege to work with many students over the years who have really helped me discover my passion for teaching. The most influential student for me, though, just so happened to be living under the same roof as me. My younger brother, Blake (pictured to the left), taught me that not all kids come into school with a passion for learning as I once did. For him, school was a mundane chore that got harder and harder each time he went back. Not all teachers reached Blake's level of need and so my parents oftentimes would sit at the kitchen table each night and struggle to help him finish his homework. Somehow, I was able to reach Blake and connect what he was learning to his passions in life. Through him, I recognized that in order to reach a student you must meet them where they are at, connect with them on their interests outside of school, and apply the content to something deeper than "learning for the next test." All of these are actions I plan to take with my future students in the classroom. Today, my little brother is a high school graduate currently working a full-time state job. I could not be more proud! |