My passion and enthusiasm for teaching comes from my love of learning. Having been down another career path before finding my way to teaching, I truly understand the importance of doing something that interests and excites you. I am taking this same philosophy into the classroom. In order to motivate my students in school, I first need to get to know their interests outside of school and bring them into the classroom. This, I believe, is a key component in building a meaningful teacher-student relationship and the first step to success in the classroom. When introducing new topics and abstract concepts, I try to present them using everyday scenarios so students can see the link between what they are learning and how they can use this information in their everyday lives. Each child learns differently and I am passionate about creating a classroom culture that welcomes diversity and teaches multiple perspectives. This means adapting my teaching style and presenting information in different ways in order to meet the needs of each student. In particular when teaching social studies, I want to make sure that all my students’ cultural backgrounds are represented in the materials that are presented. I want them to feel a part of the history that we are discussing and learn from one another as well as from myself. I am a visual learner and find that I understand new material better when presented with charts or visual aids to bring the concepts to life; however, this is not the case for everyone. Overall, I want to bring a sense of excitement, liveliness and creativity to the classroom. I want students to walk into a vibrant, dynamic space and feel safe and comfortable in my classroom and with me.
