As I am over halfway through my schooling, my teaching philosophy is still evolving but starting to narrow down now as I learn more and more valuable lessons that are shaping me into who I am becoming as a teacher. I try to encourage participation the best I can. I do this by showing the students that I care about their success. I try to make things fun by personalizing their activities and including their interests. Another influence on student participation rates is the classroom environment. I have learned so much about the importance of creating a safe learning environment which includes physical education class and music class environments as well. Creating a safe learning environment is my priority from day one in a new class. If it is not my classroom I still try to create meaningful connections with the students so they feel comfortable with me in the classroom and can participate without hesitation. Unfortunately I have also experienced what it is like in a classroom that is not psychologically safe. This experience is also valuable to me because it motivates me to avoid such an environment and therefor emphasizes the importance of building a safe environment for my students.
First Week of School Newsletter
Here is a sample first week of school newsletter I created as an assignment in ED-D 408.
Self Regulated Learning (SRL)
I have learned about Stuart Shanker’s approach to self regulated learning. This is something I would consider including in my classroom and teaching practices. Here is a handout my colleagues made about self regulation.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Two colleagues of mine chose to peer teach to our ED-D 408 class on the topic of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Here is the handout we created for our peers.
Social Thinking Strategies (STS)
Some colleagues of mine chose to peer teach about social thinking strategies. This is not something that I have done my own research on yet but it definitely resonates with my teaching philosophy. Here is the handout they created.