The Nature of Children
I believe that children are born with an intrinsic desire to learn. From infancy they are soaking up and organizing information in their environment. I learned from my teaching mentors that by exploring the sights and sounds, tastes and feelings of the world around them, children fulfill this innate disposition to learn.
Objective
The purpose of education is to facilitate a safe, nurturing environment with the materials a child needs to fulfill this inherent hunger for learning. The environment should be teeming with interesting content that students can explore with all of their senses to continue to understand their world.
Following the Science
I believe that educational practices should be supported, informed, and updated by scientific research, especially in the fields of neuroscience and psychology. Advances in the field of neuroscience support the necessity of active learning experiences, where students not only receive information tossed at them by a teacher or textbook, but also engage with the information in various ways to build stronger neural connections. Advances in the field of psychology reveal that developing a student's growth mindset lead to improved academic motivation and accomplishment. I strive to encorporate these practices into my lesson plans.
My Role As A Teacher
As a teacher, I consider my role to be that of an observer, facilitator, and model. A teacher must observe each child and provide educational content that meets their individual needs, interests, and developmental stages, engaging as many of the senses as possible. When a student learns in this manner, their understanding, accomplishment, and satisfaction in their work become a reward in itself. Sometimes a fixed mindset, a negative experience, or an unaddressed learning challenge will form obstacles to a student's self satisfaction in the learning process. I do my best to model a growth mindset and create a fun, engaging atmosphere where making mistakes and saying, “I don’t know” are embraced as a normal and necessary part of the learning experience.
My Teaching Style
I've found that humor is often the most effective classroom management tool. Regardless of the message, I want my tone to convey the care and empathy I have for my students. They need to know that we're on the same team and my goal is to help them succeed.
Too often I remember mentally "checking out" when I was young because the lessons were dry and boring. That's why two questions drive my planning and preparation for any class or tutoring session: 1) What whimsy could I introduce to connect them more to the material? 2) How can I make this more fun?
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