Mary DiMaggio’s Teaching Philosophy

Reflective Teaching-I have developed a daily journaling practice where I reflect on the
effectiveness of my teaching and determine ways in which I can improve. I also review student
work daily to inform my practice, and determine areas where students would benefit from
additional review. I then make adjustments as needed in future lessons to ensure that all students
achieve success and meet the learning goals of the lesson. Additionally, I view other teachers as
resources. I frequently seek out feedback from others and utilize suggestions to make my
teaching stronger, as well as observing other teachers to see different methods of teaching.

Educating the Whole Student-In addition to academic content, I strive to support each student
holistically and consider their needs beyond academics. I am committed to social-emotional
development and teaching students skills in managing and expressing emotions and navigating
interpersonal relationships with their peers. I model and talk students through the ways in which
they can solve conflict with each other, and provide them with suggestions of what they can do
next time so that they can learn how to solve disagreements on their own.

Encouraging Lifelong Learning-I believe that teaching is more than simply teaching students
content, but that teachers set students up with skills that will support them throughout their lives,
in and out of school. I make learning fun and engaging through getting students up and moving
around the classroom and emphasize connections to students’ lives outside of school. Through
doing so, I encourage students to develop curiosity about the world around them and instill in
them a lifelong love of learning. I make sure students understand that we are all constantly
learning more and moving forward, including me as their teacher, and they will continue to learn
throughout their lives beyond the classroom.

Classroom Management-My approach to classroom management is developing a relationship

with my students. I make an effort to get to know every student in the classroom, as well as share
details about myself so that they students can get to know me. My goal is to create a classroom
community where every student feels safe, happy, and comfortable being themselves. I
emphasize to students that my job is to help them grow and succeed, and to challenge them to
move beyond their comfort zone, and their job is to try their best, support each other, and ask for
help when they need it. The classroom runs most smoothly when everyone does their part and
works together to succeed. Additionally, I emphasize accountability in terms of behavior
management, where I ask students to think about whether their choices are appropriate at a given
moment. This helps students to become self-aware of their own behaviors and learn how to fix
their behavior on their own, rather than only being corrected by the teacher.
Meeting Students Where They Are-I differentiate my lessons to ensure all students have what
they need to succeed academically. Instead of making lessons easier, I maintain high
expectations for all students and add supports into my lessons to help all students meet the
learning goals. I uphold a growth mindset and celebrate students’ progress and effort, rather than
expecting mastery right away. I compliment students when they try their best and work hard, to
challenge them to keep moving forward in their learning once they meet a learning goal.

Home/School Communication-I view families and teachers as a team that works together to
support a child. I send a weekly newsletter to families to update them about what their child is
learning, and to share ways they can extend and support learning at home. As challenges and
incidents occur in the classroom, I take a proactive approach and communicate with families so
they understand that I am aware of the situation, and share what I have done or will do the next
day to help solve the problem. I also reach out to families when something positive occurs, such
as when a student perseveres through a challenge, or shows strong growth or progress in a
particular subject area.