Aproaches

APPROACHES

I feel I am a professional when it comes to my classroom and planning the tools and program I will use when teaching my students. I will approach situations as they come to me with a clear and controlled mind. Having an emergency action plan in a classroom is vital. Approaching parents with the mindset that they would want me to care for their child as if it were my own. In my EEC class, my teacher had us do projects called “What Would You Do”. These essays were designed to make us think about what kind of teachers we are and how we would reach to situation. I believe that by doing this it has prepared me for the kinds of things that could happen and now I may be more prepared.

Blogging in the Classroom

I think therefore I blog
BLOGGING IN THE CLASSROOM

Blogging in my classroom is what I am not excited about. I have learned so many tools that will be great for my students to learn from. My posting student work on the classroom blog and posting assignment for parents to be involved in every aspect of what we are doing in the classroom; blogging will be the center of my class. Having a personal blog is something I have been thinking about but still have not made an ultimate decision. I think that I would rather my full focus be on my students and the classroom than keeping up with another blog; it can be time consuming.

TOOLS I WILL USE TO TEACH
I have learned many things in my college classes. Many things that will help may in my years of teaching any other things that my will just help me in life. Blogging is my interest at the moment and will be my main focus at the beginning of the year. I will hope to have a Smart-Board in my classroom because they are great for student use; they can learn many different skills from the Smart-Board. I will also introduce podcasting and video-casting. Voice-threading is a great tool to learn for commenting on other classroom blogs; which we will be doing!

Being Organized

BEING ORGANIZED
I feel that I, as a person, am very organized. Therefore, as I begin teaching, I will only get better with my organization skills. Being prepared for anything and everything that could come is thrown at you before it comes at great way to be handled the first year of school. My EEC 300 class in college has prepared me for exactly that. In this course we created “Classroom Management Portfolios”. These portfolios intended to help us be better prepared for our first year of teaching. In my portfolio I have included: parent letter, room arrangement ideas, filling the first day activities, etc. Procedures I will teach include: morning procedures, end-of-day procedures, coming to attention, students keeping notebooks, etc. My portfolio also includes “What Would You Do” scenarios that make you consider the options of what to do when there is a situation in your classroom. There are many other things included in my portfolio that will help me with my first year of teaching and I encourage every new teacher to be organized before they begin teaching.

Technology in my Classroom

TECHNOLOGY IN MY CLASSROOM

I pretty much knew I wanted to be a teacher, so when I began college I didn’t have trouble picking a major. Children have always interested me; whether It be the reason they act out in school or it be how they can be so cleaver and witty at exactly the right moment. There was a point in my life that I felt our society was pushing technology onto our younger generation to soon and not letting them enjoy the wonder minded short lived years they have. Now I feel a bit different and I must say that my EDM 310 teacher Dr. Strange has really opened my mind to technology. Not that I didn’t know what an IPod or a Mac was before, but I assure you he knew first! Having technology in the classroom can open so many doors for children to learn from. Having computers and Smart-Boards are great because the kids can use them on their own. They provide computer skills along with vocabulary, math, and English as well. Having a classroom blog will be at the top of my to-do list at the beginning of the school year. I believe having a classroom blog really holds the classroom together; it can hold all assignment and current projects our class is working on. Parents and Family can also view our blog to see student work. Technology is a wonderful tool for students to learn and even teach the teacher!

Professional Philosophy of Teaching

When I close my eyes and picture a teacher, I see my second grade teacher. Although I do not remember her features or even her name I do remember what was important. I remember her patients and her loving heart. The way she handled my overwhelming temper tantrums and hysteria was unforgettable. That is why I have chosen to be an elementary teacher. I want to be that person a child comes to when they need help. Being one of the first people that strive to mold the minds of a child is such an honor, and a big responsibility. I have always loved kids and loved seeing the excitement in their eyes when they learn something and cannot wait to show someone what they have just learned.
To be the person that they come to when they are excited and cannot wait to tell a funny joke they heard, or when they are sad because someone just said something mean and hurt their feelings is truly an honor to me. On that very first day of school when they are scared and do not know what to expect, I will be there to tell them it will be ok and tell their parents that I will take care of each of them. When a parent gives me their trust and faith that I will be there for their child when they cannot be is one of the responsibilities that I have thought about and I am more than happy to take on. Thinking about having a room full of students starring up at me to answer their questions, to teach them the things they will take with them for the rest of their lives is so exciting. I will be the one to teach them how to act and what to except from their many school years to come. I think about that first day of teaching and get butterflies in my stomach every time. I know as a teacher I will always hold on to that excitement.
I believe that my role in a student’s life is a very big role. By me becoming a teacher, I am taking a vow to do everything I can to help that student to learn everything they need to know to move on with their lives. Not only is it my job to teach my students everything they will need to know, but it is even more important for the parents to be 100% involved through the process. I will expect all of my parents to keep in touch with me and to keep their children on track when I can’t! By keeping a classroom blog, we can make this possible. My students will be held responsible for bringing in homework every day and participating in classroom work. I will always strive to be a master teacher; to make an impact on every student I teach and to do it with a caring heart and a smile on my face.