Educational Philosophy

As an English Language Arts teacher, my philosophy is grounded in the belief that every student has the potential to be an effective communicator, critical thinker, and lifelong learner.  I believe that students learn best when they are in an environment where they feel safe, respected and encouraged to share ideas.  I believe it is my role to help them improve not only their academic performance but also to expand their perspectives about various topics so that they can grow and gain an understanding of themselves and others, while developing empathy, tolerance, and open-mindedness.

I aim to instill a love for reading and writing, empowering students to use language as a tool for self-expression, creativity, and analysis.  I strive to connect the literature and writing of the units we study to their lives, interests, and the world around them.  I believe in fostering critical thinking skills by encouraging students to question, analyze, and discuss the materials they encounter, not only with me but with their peers as well. This helps them not only become better readers and writers but also more thoughtful and more effective communicators.  And of course, I also recognize that each student has unique needs and strengths, so I aim to differentiate instruction to ensure that all learners are challenged and supported.  I also encourage them to understand that they can learn from their mistakes and to always have a growth mindset.

Ultimately, my philosophy is centered on creating a classroom that fosters a love for literature, a sense of belonging, and the skills necessary for success both academically and socially.

My Why

When I think about why I am an educator, I am reminded that our parents are our first teachers.  And my mother not only was a great teacher to me but was a dedicated first grade teacher to her students for over 20 years.  And seeing the joy teaching brought to her life inspired me to want to teach as well.  And so when I entered middle school, a time when most adolescents struggle with uncertainty, I felt sure that teaching was my future.  I can still remember the books we read and wrote about in ELA class.  I had such magical moments when the teacher helped me realize that books had another level of meaning.  The feeling of understanding was so powerful, I wanted to share it with others.  It was both these middle school ELA experiences as well as my mother's incredible journey as an educator that made me want to focus my career on teaching ELA to middle school students.  And as someone who has been doing just that for over seventeen years, I know I made the right choice when I am able to watch my students experience this same magical understanding when I am analyzing texts with them.  I have had the honor of seeing students succeed and passing on my passion about reading is why I am an educator today.