Philosophy of Education

"I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride."

- Whitney Houston, "Greatest Love of All"

Teaching in the 21st century, we as educators are striving to reach our students of the 21st century. And although she is not much of a role model herself, all teachers should realize the wise words Whitney sang decades ago.

Our children are our future. However, with the issues that are facing our children, they sometimes know more than we do. They have the ability to be our teachers. Our jobs are "simply" to facilitate their learning. When I am creating or choosing lessons for my class I utilize strategies such as cooperative learning, thematic instruction, and whole brain teaching.

How do I construct a lesson?

With the growth of knowledge amongst 21st century students we are able to provide more experiential learning opportunities that provide for discovery while also providing reason and meaning. By allowing children to be constructive, discovering concepts based on what they already know, they will retain information longer and become more involved in their learning. By keeping learning tasks meaningful and minimizing directions, students are able to explore and learn in a "free" environment. That is an environment that is free of discouragement and rich in encouragement.

I am a firm believer in a child centered classroom, when materials and choices are carefully planned by a facilitator such as myself.

Students should be able to work often with manipulatives for math and science. However, activities within the classroom should also provide opportunity for other intelligences to be used as well.

Most learning facilitators are familiar with many learning theories. The theories of Bruner, Gardner, Carroll, and Rogers have all had an influence upon my own philosophy but most of all it comes from observing my students and the world that surrounds them.