Educational Philosophy
: All students are capable of learning and succeeding with the proper educational ingredients!
Ingredient 1: Parents/Caregivers- You are your child's biggest advocate. Learning first takes place at home with you and that learning environment continues at school and after school. At home, Students learn the basics, how to love and be loved, discipline , social skills, manners and a whole lot more. I believe when you, the parents, take an active role in your child's education he/she is most likely to succeed and be GREAT!
Ingredient 2: Classroom Climate- In my classroom I have a balance of love and discipline. Students are greeted when they enter my room with a nice smile and welcome. Everyone is treated equally, and differences are appreciated and respected. We have a "No Put Down" policy and students feel safe. Students become risk takers and this fosters creativity and dialogue to make learning fun and exciting.
Ingredient 3: Curriculum/Subject matter- As an educator, I strongly believe that in order for my students to gain the knowledge that they need to be successful, that I too, have to become a life-long learner. I will always stay knowledgeable about new strategies and up-to-date resources for teaching the core curriculum and content strands for reading, math, and content areas.
Ingredient 4: Differentiation- In addition, to being knowledgeable about the curriculum, education will be tailored to all learners. We will provide opportunities for group projects, hands-on activities, individual assignments, lectures, round table discussions, and much more. We believe that when students interact with one another verbally, ideas transfer from one great mind to the next and solid, concrete knowledge is not only gained but maintained.
Ingredient5: Ms. Mays- I entered into my teaching career with an excellent academic foundation and some educational experiences. Based on those assets, I believe that in order to be a highly effective teacher that an individual needs to possess 2 great qualities. The first quality is passion! Because I absolutely love, love, love what I do I put my heart into it. I am at school daily and often go home very late. I understand that for one year, I am a consistent figure in my students' lives and I need to be present and ready for whatever comes my way that day and I will be! The next quality is being prepared. I will be prepared with long and short range plans that of course align themselves with the current curriculum. I will also use assessments to drive my instruction and when something is not working, rearrange my plans in order to better meet the needs of my learners. By being prepared, students will be engaged in meaningful lessons that will foster into concrete knowledge.