My Teaching Philosophy

           There are many aspects of teaching and they are important to the teachers who hold them near to their beliefs.  Creating a safe and nurturing environment, instructing relevant material, and building relationships with students, families, community people, and fellow faculty are some of the aspects I feel strongly about with regards to teaching.  I began working in one of the most severe behavior and disability classrooms in my school district in February 2007.  One of the biggest reasons why I was hired was when I viewed the classroom one of the little girls who has Rett Syndrome grabbed my hand and wanted me to play with her.  So I did, drool and all!  So began my journey of discernment about where life was taking me.  Two years later I began the process of getting back into school after leaving in 1990.  I strongly feel teaching is a calling and my calling came later in my life.  Learning about my community, crisis management, and assisting those less fortunate were some of the lessons I needed to be exposed to in order to become the teacher I need to be in my community.  One of my strongest qualities is that I have worked in the community and have experience working with people in a variety of ways such as crisis management, suicide prevention, stress management, access to free medications, and advocacy for those surviving terrible crimes.

            Because of my previous work experiences I strongly feel that the multicultural perspective speaks to me the most.  As the text states “The multicultural education perspective seeks to provide equal access, opportunities, and respect for all learners” I feel this should be true for all teachers although in reality not all teachers feel this perspective and that’s okay.  Special education teachers are taught many things about equality because it is mandated by law and those of us who feel called to this particular part of the teaching profession feel there is no other way to teach.  As teachers we need to love our students and families where they are in their lives.  Many times it becomes a point of frustration because we know there are better ways of living however we must love them where they are.  That being said doesn’t mean we agree with their actions or beliefs.  The curriculum, assessments, and teaching strategies must reflect positive attitudes, be student-centered, and culturally sensitive in many ways such as language and ethnicity.

            In looking at the other teaching approaches I would rate them by importance to me in the following way: balanced literacy components, skill-based approach, whole language philosophy, and constructivism perspective.  I believe teaching a balanced literacy is the key to successful students learning the mechanics of English and writing.  We are now seeing at least one generation of students who did not have phonics learning and are struggling greatly.  Students must receive a balanced literacy so they all can be successful.  Phonics is a big key for the students with learning disabilities and students who grasp the mechanics quicker than most benefit greatly from the whole language approach.

            The skills-based approach is important for teachers, in particular special education teachers and those working with reading recovery programs and RTI (Response to Intervention).  Students, who are somewhere on the autism spectrum, need to have direct and explicit instruction for success in the classroom as well as those with severe cognitive disabilities.  Teachers can assess students and create a more individualized plan for them to target the areas where they are struggling. 

            As we have studied reading assessments I have to say I like the combination of both the running record and the miscue analysis.  In order to properly assess how a student is doing in reading I believe teachers need to gather background information and complete a survey to gather that information.  The actual assessment of the running record seems to be less time-consuming and manageable for teachers with a large number of students to assess.  In order to better serve students and increase their reading fluency and comprehension teachers need to observe and assess what works with students and what did not work well.  All students learn differently and when teachers can group learners together then instruction can be tailored more easily.

            My role as a teacher is to create a positive, nurturing environment for ALL students to learn the ways they are successful in their school career.  It is vital that teachers assess students regularly to ensure they are receiving the utmost instruction they deserve.  By beginning every school year day one with teacher expectations and a class code of conduct, teachers and students will be successful with managing behavior in their learning environments.  Here is one of my favorite quotes to sum up my teaching philosophy by Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”