EDU 470 Concurrent Student Teaching Seminar Gisela Vivanco

With Dr. Vanashri Nargund-Joshi February 11, 2014

1
Teaching Philosophy


I believe that an effective teacher has certain dispositions such as:

Understanding the need for all students to feel comfortable in a safe and
welcoming classroom environment.
In my classroom, all students will be treated fairly. There will be no
differences. I will push all my students to be the best they can be. I believe that when
students see that there are no differences made between them, and they all feel
appreciated, a community of learners develops. In my opinion, a community of
learners is cultivated through caring and sharing. When students are motivated to
explore and discover and they feel part of this community of learners, they turn to
each other no only looking for help but also to provide help, and in turn they also
learn from each other. When students feel comfortable, they are brave enough to
raise their voices when in doubt, or to contribute to the well being of the whole
class. Raising questions and providing their opinions about the subject matter will
be greatly appreciated in my classroom.

Plans for activities that will develop students analytic and critical thinking
capabilities.
In my classroom, students will benefit from both, individual and grouped
activities. I am a strong supporter of collaborative work, I believe that it helps
students to understand different points of view and it also helps them to develop
perspective. I consider that students can lean on each other for support but
responsibility has to be balanced. I am also an advocate of individual work, as it
makes everyone responsible of their own work and eventually leads students on to
becoming capable beings.

Constantly uses different strategies to teach and assess all students
depending upon each of their specific needs.
Students learn in different ways. In my classroom, I will modify my lessons
and use different strategies to teach my lessons that will benefit all my students
depending upon the type of learning style they prefer; whether it is visual,
kinesthetic, or auditory. I will make sure my students understand they way they
EDU 470 Concurrent Student Teaching Seminar Gisela Vivanco
With Dr. Vanashri Nargund-Joshi February 11, 2014
2
learn best so that they can learn to know themselves better. I will also take
advantage of the multiple intelligences theory from Howard Gardner, so that I can
make my lessons more interesting according to their own curiosities. One of the
strategies I like to use is providing guided note taking for my students.

Uses technology to create unforgettable and unique learning experiences
for students.
Technology is all around us. Most of the students have a smart phone now
days, and many more have computers with Internet access. I believe that learning
goes beyond the classroom and into their homes. We will also make use of Internet
perks like blogging sites such as Emodo, which will allow me to provide more visual
and interactive activities on their own time.

Is assertive and has great expectations about student achievement.
Robert Rosenthal says, Believing helps to make happen. When teachers
have high expectations of their students and provide clear directions, students work
harder and achieve more than they thought they could accomplish. In my classroom,
students will be guided through how to complete projects and assignments to ease
the anxiety of deadlines. In addition, I will think ahead of time of anything and
everything that could possibly be a block in their thinking and I will provide a way
to remove that block or another way to get to the finish line. I also believe that
parents should play a big part in the expectations part. Students need to know that
their loved ones care about their success.

Finds ways to connect lessons across the entire curriculum.
At the high school, I will work with my colleagues to find out what my
students are learning in their other courses. Mathematics is everything. Numbers
can be used to be specific and detailed, so math can be connected to every subject.
When students see connections between their courses they benefit immensely as
they are more likely to understand and retain taught concepts in their long-term
memory.

Connects with other professionals who share the same values and ideals.
If one wants to be the best, one must surround oneself with no one but the
best. I am the kind of person that takes pride in anything I do, because I do it with all
my good intentions and an open heart. Surrounding myself with people that share
the same outlook on the way education should be carried out is very important.
Teaching is not a job, is a commitment, a big responsibility, and it should never be
taken lightly, because childrens lives will be in my hands. Having positive attitudes
is extremely necessary. Keeping one informed about way to make the classroom
more fun and interactive is crucial. Taking advantage of technology is essential.
Sharing anything new I learn about how to make my classroom better with my
colleagues is a pleasure, and when they have these same beliefs, teaching lifestyle
overall gets better.