Educational Philosophy
Global Citizens
As an educator, my goal is to create thoughtful, productive citizens of the world. Our world needs more people who can think critically and with empathy, who can articulate their thoughts effectively, who have a thoughtful and nuanced understanding of world issues, and who are able to productively deal with controversy. As a high school English teacher, I can help students become the people that our world needs.
Relationships
Students learn best when they feel that they can be brave. It’s a bit of an oxymoron, but in order to feel brave, students must also feel safe. They need to feel that the classroom is a safe environment. The teacher establishes the safe environment by modeling community building behavior. When students feel emotionally safe, they feel brave enough to take academic risks with their work.
Reading & Listening
Students must read widely and deeply. They must be exposed to a wide variety of voices; they must read from authors who are diverse in life experiences, world views, race, gender, politics, religion, and language. Exposure to a variety of voices is educative on a literal level. Perhaps more importantly, it also helps students develop empathy. It humanizes the “other.”
They must also be exposed to a wide variety of writing styles. When students are asked to listen to a variety of voices, both in terms of writing style and world perspectives/experiences, they become able to think more complexly. They develop a nuanced understanding of the world.
Writing & Speaking
Students must be able to articulately express their nuanced understanding of the world. They must be able to write effectively and with precision. They must learn to be responsible with the content and tone of their writing. It is important that they learn how to constructively add to a conversation.
Authentic Environment
The content and skills that students learn in the classroom are relevant in “the real world.” However, even when presented with the most engaging and best designed lessons, students can still fail to make the connection. This is because students are learning in a manufactured environment: the classroom. Students need to spend as much time as possible learning in an authentic environment. Regular expeditions (field trips that serve essential academic purposes in the student’s learning) are an integral component of effective education. When students learn in an authentic environment, their learning deepens and the relevance of the content is immediately apparent.
As an educator, my goal is to create thoughtful, productive citizens of the world. Our world needs more people who can think critically and with empathy, who can articulate their thoughts effectively, who have a thoughtful and nuanced understanding of world issues, and who are able to productively deal with controversy. As a high school English teacher, I can help students become the people that our world needs.
Relationships
Students learn best when they feel that they can be brave. It’s a bit of an oxymoron, but in order to feel brave, students must also feel safe. They need to feel that the classroom is a safe environment. The teacher establishes the safe environment by modeling community building behavior. When students feel emotionally safe, they feel brave enough to take academic risks with their work.
Reading & Listening
Students must read widely and deeply. They must be exposed to a wide variety of voices; they must read from authors who are diverse in life experiences, world views, race, gender, politics, religion, and language. Exposure to a variety of voices is educative on a literal level. Perhaps more importantly, it also helps students develop empathy. It humanizes the “other.”
They must also be exposed to a wide variety of writing styles. When students are asked to listen to a variety of voices, both in terms of writing style and world perspectives/experiences, they become able to think more complexly. They develop a nuanced understanding of the world.
Writing & Speaking
Students must be able to articulately express their nuanced understanding of the world. They must be able to write effectively and with precision. They must learn to be responsible with the content and tone of their writing. It is important that they learn how to constructively add to a conversation.
Authentic Environment
The content and skills that students learn in the classroom are relevant in “the real world.” However, even when presented with the most engaging and best designed lessons, students can still fail to make the connection. This is because students are learning in a manufactured environment: the classroom. Students need to spend as much time as possible learning in an authentic environment. Regular expeditions (field trips that serve essential academic purposes in the student’s learning) are an integral component of effective education. When students learn in an authentic environment, their learning deepens and the relevance of the content is immediately apparent.
