MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

My motto for how I teach is based on the quote, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and SNAP, the job is a game”-Mary Poppins; 1964 Disney. I feel that any task can be made into a game, and learning in school is no exception. My main goal with how I teach young children is that they enjoy all aspects of learning. Encouraging the students to move around, making silly noises, or being overly dramatic requires children to be more focused and engaged. Research has shown that kinesthetic learning (use of body movement and gestures) greatly increases the rate of remembering vocabulary words or concepts. Furthermore, I start the school year by getting to know your children and their interests so I can plan lessons. When students have a personal connection to the learning content, they are more likely to be involved which instills the belief that learning is fun.

 

I’m passionate that students in my class have the opportunity to establish their identities, slowly gain independence, and grow both physically and social-emotionally in a safe environment. The first few years of school can be a lot for young children to adapt to. This new experience requires young children to adapt to new structures as well as learn how to handle new relationships all while finding out who they are themselves. That being the case, the learning environment needs to be safe in order to slowly navigate and adjust. When this environment is established, children are more likely to develop and be fully equipped for whatever comes their way. Despite their young age, children in kindergarten should start having as many opportunities as possible to establish their independence. For that reason, all materials in the classroom that the students will use will be easily accessible, and each student will be responsible for how they care for those materials. Starting this practice at a young age ensures that these young children will be capable of taking more control of their lives little by little until they reach adulthood. 

 

Lastly, I am a strong advocate for the practice of dual language learning in the classroom. Being born white and American, I spoke only English. However, when I entered high school and had the opportunity to learn,  read, write, and speak Spanish, I deeply desired to be able to speak both languages fluently. Even today, I am still learning the appropriate uses and contexts in order to communicate fluently in Spanish. The old philosophy concerning dual language learners was that only English was to be spoken in the classroom, even if the student’s first language is something other than English. However, new research has come out that explains the importance of encouraging the use and even implementing the use of the students’ home language in the classroom while also teaching English as a second language. Therefore, it is my desire to be able to communicate with the guardians of my students as well as my students regardless of what language they speak. If that means starting to learn phrases of a completely new language, encouraging the parent/guardians to come in and help with translation, or preparing my lessons, then that is what I will do. I will also be teaching simple words and phrases to the whole class so that all students feel welcomed and see that their language is appreciated.  This may include a “Word of the Day” for English and then also another language that a student speaks. 

 

With all of these aspects, I believe that my classroom and teaching will be a safe place for both students and their guardians. Consequently, the overall content for my classroom will be culturally competent and well-rounded so that all students are equipped to succeed both academically and socially, which will make a difference for the rest of their lives and careers.