On this site, I will be writing and reflecting upon my journey into teaching and education. You will find links to work I have done, as well as some artifacts from my MAT program. Feel free to browse my blog for short reflections upon various topics or browse the teaching resources that I've collected on the site. Whatever you do, start engaging in education!
My Teaching Philosophy
I believe that the high school students I teach are kids starting to become adults. They are trying out
new roles and finding themselves as people. It is my job as a teacher to help
guide them to learn not only the material that our state standards set forth,
but also how to become citizens in our country and of our ever growing
(and shrinking) world. I believe that there are several important elements to
helping students achieve these goals: (1) providing a safe learning
environment in which students can be themselves and explore the world, (2) acting as a guide and role model, but also demonstrating my humanness to support positive behavior, (3) teaching them how to prepare themselves to tackle any
situation in life, and (4) promoting respect for and curiosity about the world and its citizens.
Teaching Social Studies is about connecting with humanity. From history to economics, it's important to find something human to connect to in the classroom. If we look at history as merely dates and names, we’ll never find any use for the study of it. If students can make connections to their own lives, however, studying the history of the United States or macroeconomics will make more sense. Building the cause-and-effect models, looking at change over time, and comparing and contrasting events from different periods all help students look at their world in new ways. In doing this they learn to think critically and have a better understanding of approaching their world as they move into the future.
