Larissa Ballardo

LBS 400

Dr. Macias

My Teaching Philosophy

A transformative teacher is considered to be an important, guiding figure throughout a

student’s academic career and in their lives. I chose teaching as my profession with a vision of

enriching student’s lives with knowledge and guidance by providing them with various effective

learning strategies and techniques for academic and social success. I believe the best way to

teach students is by being a transformative and culturally responsive teacher by providing

positive and equitable opportunities for all students, according to their learning styles and needs.

My vision as a teacher is to set and achieve many goals in the classroom for my students,

as well as myself. As a teacher, one of my major goals is to consistently monitor and reflect on my

students’ progress and participation in the classroom. I plan to constantly reflect on my teaching

methods and lessons to ensure that my students are receiving the most effective and appropriate

instruction that best supports them. I also hope to learn from my students and utilize this

knowledge to better my classroom as an environment of knowledge, learning, acceptance, and

respect. I also plan to set clear and appropriate expectations for my students in the classroom.

Just as Dana Goldstein states, I too believe that “one of the best things teachers can do for her

students is to set high individualized expectations for each one of them, regardless of a child’s

past performance or whether he comes to class with a label such as low income, special

education, or learning disabled” (Goldstein, 2014). My classroom will be the center of

knowledge and learning. I believe that all students are teachers, as well as learners, and can

contribute their own background knowledge to the learning that is done in the classroom.
Providing a safe and respectable learning environment for all of my students is also imperative

for my classroom so students can be provided with a platform to share their learning and social

views, ideas, and questions. In regards to the school where I will be teaching, I will assist in

making school a resourceful and safe environment for teachers, students, and parents. As a

teacher, I will have the intentions of collaboration with fellow colleagues for feedback,

suggestions, and advice about the curriculum and other classroom related concepts. I would also

like to make sure my students are respectful and helpful citizens in their community. It is

important for me to develop a strong rapport with my students’ families in an effort to establish

the student’s academic success. Another long-term goal I hope to reach is that I want my

students to contribute back to the world by being active citizens in society and becoming

individuals who are productive, respectable, and advocates for what they believe in. My greatest

hope for my students to take away from my classroom is to always take a stand for what they

believe in and to remember that education and knowledge is power.

My mission as an educator is to implement teaching strategies that are proven effective

and equitable for individual students and my classroom as a whole. All students vary in learning

styles and I plan to use differentiation to accommodate varying student needs and learning paces

(King-Spears, 2008). For students with varying abilities, I plan to use differentiation by utilizing

teaching strategies such as collaborative learning, community circles, and think, pair share.

challenging higher level students and supporting students who need extra assistance. I plan to

base my teaching and instruction on an Asset-based approach and highlight my students

strengths and knowledge as well as incorporate my students’ funds of knowledge by learning

about their own interests, skills, and cultural and familial backgrounds (Moll, Amanti, Neff &

Gonzalez, 1992). I will promote cultural differences in my classroom by providing various

experiences for my students, such as using literature of different cultures, and demonstrations of

other cultures through media and other resources. I will also promote cultural diversity in my

classroom by implementing teaching strategies that are effective for individual students and the

class as a whole. I also plan for my students to share and contribute their own cultural practices

and experiences in the classroom with others. Teachers who are culturally responsive develop

and establish a learning environment that values diversity and build on students varying ways of

learning, using language, and behaviors (Echevarria, 2015). I would like my students to share

information about their culture and personal experiences with the class, through collaborative

learning and culturally diverse pairings and groupings of students. I will promote multiple

languages by using vocabulary in different languages and encourage Emergent Bilinguals to

build upon their language skills knowledge by speaking their native language while they learn

and familiarize themselves with the English language.

As a teacher, I plan to guide and develop an effective learning path for all of my students

by providing sufficient techniques and strategies that promote academic and social success that is

accessible for all students. I believe as a teacher, I have the motivation, enthusiasm, dedication,

and compassion in ensuring all of my students will succeed. I hope to bring the joy and the

reward of learning to my students through engagement and inquiry as they grow in their

knowledge as a learner. As my students teacher, I hope to give them knowledge and excitement

for learning and guide them to become enthusiastic lifelong learners.

 References
Echevarria, J. et. al. (2015). What it takes for English learners to succeed, Educational
Leadership, 24.
Goldstein, D. (2014). The teacher wars: A history of America’s most embattled profession, New
York: Anchor Books.
King- Spears, M.E. (2008). Facts and Fallacies: Differentiation and the general education
Curriculum for students with special education needs, differentiation and the curriculum
23, (2), 55-62.
Moll, L.C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching:
Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice,
31(2), 132-141.