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My Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy embraces three main ideas, high expectations, adaptation


to the future, and most importantly relationships. I want to set a solid technology
foundation by which all students can be confident using technology in their everyday
lives now and in the future. I can do that by setting high expectations and communicating
those expectations clearly so they can be achieved. I also strive to have meaningful
teacher-student relationships.
It is so important to set high expectations but also to clearly communicate them;
even better is also showing the real world connections. Students need to know what to
expect, understand what the class requires, recognize if they have meant the expectations
and see where it fits into the real world. High expectations also help keep the content,
assignments and assessments all aligned. Rubrics are the easiest way for me to
communicate my expectations on the real world skills we perform in class to complete
projects such as: web sites, newsletters, videos, photo editing, and animations. Students
need you to be firm and consistent in behavior and grading. Clear objectives clearly
communicated through syllabus and assignments are imperative.
I want students leaving my class to be curious life long learners and problem
solvers. But I also want them to be compassionate and professional. Technology
knowledge is too vast and ever changing so students must not be afraid of change and
embrace learning. They must utilize all resources available: textbooks, journals, the
Internet, teachers, peers, etc. Technology fosters experimentation, those who are not
afraid can conquer all technology has to throw at them. Technology is no longer an
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option; technology is a life skill for this and all future generations. Therefore life long
learning and adaptation to change in this area is imperative.
As I look back to my school memories I remember more about the emotions and
relationships than I do about specific subjects I studied. For example, my fourth grade
teacher prophesized that I would be an oceanographer when I grew up because she knew
how much I loved penguins! Often times I spend more time with a student than their
parents do in a day. I think about these things daily and strive to be a contribution
(Zander and Zander, 2010 p 4) in their lives. I learn my students names and establish that
I care about them. I encourage my students and I try to quickly recognize their
accomplishments in or out of my class. In class I have established a wall of fame where
worthy student work is showcased for others to see. Also students fill out surveys at the
beginning of the class, I read these and choose an interest or something we have in
common. I use it to make conversation with them or I insert their favorite TV shows as
examples when teaching video. Most importantly I listen to my students concerns and
respond. Outside of class I am the faculty sponsor for an anti-bullying club named
coexist. This is our second year and it still amazes me when a student that I dont know
enters my room to ask for my help because they know I care and will help because of my
affiliation with the club.
Different portions of my class require different leadership types, for example
when creating css styles or naming homepages of a website an authoritarian leadership
(Lewin, 1939 as cited by Cherry, 2012). is key; there are rigid rules to these tasks.
However, According to Lewin my prominent leadership style, delegative, (Lewin, 1939
as cited by Cherry, 2012). can be evidenced through allowing student choice on project
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topics, asking for suggestions for project ideas, asking students to help create the rubric
for a particular project, or giving them a topic and letting them choose the delivery
method, web site, newsletter, animation, etc. This not only allows them to make choice
but keeps their interest in the project because the website (or other project) is about
something they enjoy or are interested in.
High expectations, adaptation to the future, and relationships are not just valuable
to me in the classroom they are valuable to me in my life and my family relations.
Growing up with two teachers as parents, I look back at my brother and Is successes as
students and contribute those to these three traits. We were expected to attend school and
ork hard. We were to be life long learners interested in finding more and more
challenges. Even our vacations were educational as children we visited museums and
historic landmarks. Respect is an important part of relationships and we were taught that
at an early age too. Education is an important part of family and everyday life as I see
myself fostering these same three things in my own children now as well as my students
because as McCoy stated we should aim to treat our students as our own. (McCoy,
2008 as cited by Lane, 2008).
Works Cited
Cherry, K. (2012). Lewin's leadership styles. What's your leadership style? Leadership
quiz - your results. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/library/quiz/bl-
leadershipquizac.htm.
Lane, B. (Creator). (2008, July 18). The ABCs of educational leadership [Video
file].Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRAZ4iu-EgA.
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Lewin, K. (n.d.). Quiz/Results Whats your leadership style? Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/library/quiz/bl-leadershipquiz.htm.
Zander, Rosamund Stone, and Benjamin Zander. The Art of Possibility. New York:
Penguin, 2002. Print.

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