Jarret’s Berenson's Teaching Philosophy

​As a secondary science educator, I must possess the necessary knowledge, attitude, and

skills to provide a quality education to all my students. I provide a welcoming, consistent and

safe learning environment which encourages risk-taking, promotes social interaction and student

self-discovery. I recognize and adapt to the myriad changes of my students associated with the

developmental phase of adolescence. Guiding and shaping my students, using a variety of

resources, helps them develop to their full potential. Students become knowledgeable and

develop competency through a strong commitment to mastery of the curriculum. Utilizing

appropriate and varied assessments ensures that learning has been effective. Specific and clear

educational standards are shared with my students from the very first day of class and reinforced

as needed. It is through reflection that I can improve in my professional role. It is my

responsibility to be an effective role model for all of my students. I will lead by example by

sharing my passion for teaching and the need for life-long learning.

It is vital that I always maintain an asset-based perspective in my classroom at all times in

order to help diverse learners feel included, which results in learning. Diversity in the classroom

is a strength because it allows students to bring a wide array of experiences and perspectives

which provides an opportunity for students to think critically because there is not always a black

and white answer. This is especially true in science classrooms, where students inquire about

ideas that are of interest, which allows for more of an opportunity for deep understanding than

simply recounting information received in lecture. For the reasons of developing diverse

perspectives and curiosities, I always attempt to develop culturally relevant pedagogy. For

example, I once gave a lesson in which I related ecosystems to the extremely popular game of
Fortnite. One comparison that I made in this analogy was between the very famous player Ninja

and an apex predator. Both Ninja and apex predators are hunters that use that skill to gather

resources. Just like how Ninja gets resources in the form of weapons and building materials

when he eliminates an enemy in the game of Fortnite, a predator gains resources in the form of

food when it eliminates its prey. Comparing ecological principles to principles in the extremely

popular game of Fortnite really engaged students by capturing their interests and making

learning more desirable.

A teacher’s ability to manage students’ behaviors within the classroom is a vitally

important aspect of the job that is easily overlooked. Of course teachers must know the content,

be able to communicate clearly, and spend time planning impactful lessons and assessments.

However, all of those skills become close to meaningless if the class is wildly misbehaving and

causing disruption. That is why it is the responsibility of teachers to promote a positive

classroom environment that leads to good behavior from the students. I was able to learn some

ways to practice that skill by observing my mentor teacher first hand during my co-op

experience.

A valuable resource that has helped me manage the classroom is routine. For example, I

utilize a simple little trick that easily allows me to gain the entire classes’ attention because I

frequently use it throughout the year. When students are not focused on me, I simply count to

three and the entire class will clap in rhythm after I finish the count. Because the class practices

this throughout the year, it is an incredibly effective way to get everyone to be quiet and pay

attention when necessary. Another routine that I have utilized is that I would frequently have the

class move into a circle and formally discuss an educational topic. This is awkward for students
at first, but they become used to the routine throughout the year. These circles help students

communicate in a respectful manner with each other, and that impact is felt in the classroom

even when the students are not in a circle formation. I will certainly be using them in my future

classroom as well due to the success that I have had with them previously.

Another key component of a teacher is the way in which he/she accesses his/her students.

Some students are either good or bad at multiple choice tests and may underperform or

overperform to their level of understanding accordingly. A student may write a brilliant essay,

but only because their parents did the heavy lifting. A student who has a true understanding of

content may deliver a poor presentation because they got nervous. Regardless of the assessment,

there is a potential for inaccuracy in the results. While this is certainly a problem for teachers,

they can reduce it by varying assessments. For this reason, I give students the opportunity to

showcase their understandings in various ways so that every student displays their strengths and

weaknesses. This will provide me with more information about my students’ levels of

understanding. I often utilize formative assessments to individual students (ie exit ticket) as well

as the class as a whole (ie ask review questions) to ensure that students are getting that true

understanding. I also vary major assignments between tests and projects so that students are able

to demonstrate their levels of understanding in different ways. For example, I have given

students a final project in which they demonstrated their knowledge of biological content by

researching a topic of interest and crafting a presentation on that topic by relating an idea that

was covered during the course.

While I am proud of my current experience in the classroom, I also believe that it is

incredibly important to grow as a teacher. Teachers should be life-long learners, so improvement

should always be a major goal for any teacher. For this reason, I will always attempt to keep up

with educational research in an attempt to identify new strategies that can positively impact my

ability to teach effectively. I also believe that I should seek the feedback of my students because

they are able to determine which aspects of the classroom should change based on their unique

learning styles. I have gathered student feedback by having them complete anonymous surveys

in which they describe the aspects of the class that they like as well as aspects of the class that

are in need of improvement. These surveys allow students to give me feedback on assignments,

the classroom atmosphere, and on my teaching style. This feedback is incredibly valuable to me,

and I use it in an effort to improve as an educator.