Philosophy of Education A classroom is built of two main components.

The first part is the students, who come from different backgrounds, experiences, achievement levels, cultures, and abilities. The second component is the teacher, who is responsible to teach in a way that is productive and effective to accommodate every child, and celebrate their differences. In a successful classroom, the teachers and students each have a specific role. Ideally, teacher serve as a guide to help students understand how to work together and discover new ideas and concepts on their own. Through scaffolding and modeling, teachers can show students not only content information, but skills to become lifelong learners. In addition to curriculum content, I am a firm believer in implementing effective classroom management from the first day of school. Children should know from the beginning what is expected of them. I think it is important for the students to be involved in the creation of classroom guidelines , and have plenty of time to practice correct routines and disciplines. An outside component that is equally important is parent/guardian involvement. I would like to involve parents as much as I can in their child s learning process. Parents should be able to contact the teacher with questions or concerns, and they should be updated on their child s work, progress and successes. Above all, I believe that all students can learn. I always inform my teaching with that in mind, and I try to differentiate my classroom as much as possible. Depending on the content area, students should be given a choice for what they read, how they solve math problems, and how they complete projects. Students should progress according to their own abilities, and should have the understanding that they are not to compare themselves to their classmates. I think that this is key in successful classrooms.

With thoughtful preparation, I know that I can make my classroom as effective as it can be. It is crucial that I set goals for myself and for my students, and help them learn to do the same. Through careful reflection, I am sure that I will find success, and continue to improve each year.