Professional Philosophy

    As an educator, I believe that every student in my classroom has the opportunity to learn and to grow as an individual.  No matter socioeconomic background, demographic, prior knowledge of the subject, or past experiences in the classroom, each student has the opportunity to use education to improve themselves.  Going to school is not only about passing tests, but is about gaining the skills and knowledge that will help students be successful in life.  However, each student is an individual with original life experiences that will affect their view of education, which is why the educational experience needs to be individualized for each student.  In order to be successful, the classroom needs to be differentiated and scaffolded for every student.  Knowing each student who steps into the classroom will ensure that the students are able to be taught in an effective way for them.

    As a an educator of social studies, I believe that every student can connect to the past in one way or another.  History is not just major events in the past, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence or the Cold War, but applies to every part of life.  Each student has his or her own personal history, and a person’s life experiences make up who they are in that moment.  Just as each student has their own history, each student belongs to a culture.  Each concept taught in history can also be applied back to a student's’ life.  History should always be taught in connection to current events, as the past is always effecting the present. Current events should never only be taught, but in some way should be discussed.

      As an educator of adolescents, I believe that students respond best to  positive reinforcement. Once classroom procedures are explicitly taught at the very beginning, students should be corrected and encouraged through reminders of those expectations in a constructive and positive manner.  During the class, students should be learning the content, as well as the skills they need to be successful in life, such as analyzing, evaluating, comparing, and explaining. The mastery of these techniques is just as important as understanding the interactions of people and cultures in history.  My goal is for students to leave my classroom prepared not only for their next history class, but to be better prepared for any class or life situation.  By practicing 21st century skills, such as collaboration and technology skills, students should be able to use those concepts in their everyday lives.