After my teaching and learning experiences throughout the course of this semester, my #teachingphilosophy has developed and become more clear. From the list of 10 components of my teaching philosophy in my first post from the very beginning of the semester to now, my list has become more specific and clear in how it applies to the classroom.
Specifically, I have gotten more clarity in what culturally responsiveness, student-centered learning, and choice-based teaching looks like in the classroom. Cultural responsiveness has always been a key component in my teaching philosophy, but before this semester I hadn’t really felt like I was actively applying it or incorporating it into my instruction. In previous teaching experiences at Preston Middle School, I didn’t experience very diverse classrooms. This semester, however, I have worked in more diverse schools with students who come from a huge range of backgrounds and cultures. Especially at Boltz Middle School and Poudre High School, I have had to focus more on the language, clarity, and sensitivity of my instruction in order to reach all of my students. My experience connecting with many different types of students this semester has solidified this component of my teaching philosophy and I look forward to finding more ways to be a culturally responsive teacher.
Below you can see my new list in comparison with my original list.
A few components that I decided to add to my philosophy are interdisciplinary learning, choice, real-world experience, collaboration, and student-centered. After my teaching experiences at Polaris, in my practicum at Poudre High School, and in peer teaching, I gained more knowledge about these strategies/methodologies and tried to incorporate a few of them into my own teaching. One example of incorporating choice-based teaching/learning is the lesson plan and art project model we developed in our 4th/5th grade class at Polaris. For both projects this semester, students were provided a wide range of materials and chose materials based on their design visions. Collaboration also came forth throughout the semester, as students continuously pursued working with their peers to make artworks. With choice naturally comes student-centered and real-world experiences. Additionally, we incorporated interdisciplinary learning through the Sun, Moon, and Stars theme of our lesson plans.