"'A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,' said Jojen. 'The man who never reads lives only once.'"--George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
As an only child in a small rural town growing up out in the country, I was often lacking in playmates when at home. I didn't have neighbors, per se; unless you count the farmer's kids about two miles down the road. Books were often my best companions in those pre-Netflix days. So many of my days as a child were spent sitting out on our front porch, looking out over the field in front of our house with a book on my lap. I would gaze out at the nothingness in front of me and dream that I was in New York City, or Narnia, or Victorian-era London. The characters from the stories were often my best friends and constant companions as I went into high school. Dealing with the drama that is adolescence often left me (like most teens) feeling lost and out of place; like I belonged somewhere else. My stories gave me somewhere to belong, people that understood, or sometimes just a way to escape. Through my own reading I have been to magical places like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have partied with Jay Gatsby and pondered about the green light at the end of his dock. I have danced with Mr. Darcy. I have traveled through the mountains of Middle Earth. I have stared onto the moors with Catherine and Heathcliff. I have fought against the injustices of Panem. Just as George R.R. Martin wrote: I have lived a thousand lives--without ever leaving my childhood home.
"I am more interested in arousing enthusiasm in kids than teaching the facts. The facts may change, but that enthusiasm for exploring the world will remain for them for the rest of their lives."--Seymour Simon
I wasn't entirely sure of what my own personal teaching philosophy was until I saw this quote. Enthusiasm: that is what I want to teach; what I want to demonstrate to my own students from my own life and personal and perpetual pursuit of knowledge. It seems like the curriculum that teachers are asked to present is ever-changing and being modified; but if I can instill an ever present curiosity and interest in LEARNING and not in simply achieving good grades, then I am a happy teacher. I believe in teaching students to think for themselves. I believe that each student, no matter their achievement level from state tests, can learn and think on their own. I like for my students to have their own opinions, so long as they can back them up with logic and evidence, and present them in a way that does not offend or harm others. I believe in teaching about the world as a whole. Too many of our students are of the firm belief that they are the center of the universe. By using the incredible works of a variety of authors, and learning about other cultures and people, those adolescents can learn to see through the eyes of others vastly different from themselves.
I also strongly believe in teaching my students to have self-empowerment. It doesn’t do anyone any good to blame their shortcomings on others—I also don’t believe that anyone should ever accept less than their best. I encourage my students to share their opinions, to take pride in their work, to learn from their failures, to present themselves in the best way. I teach the nuances of language, because I believe that in this world of constant connection, the written word will grow to have even more of an influence than it ever has. I teach them to speak, not just to talk, but to speak: to stand tall, speak up, and present themselves as smart and capable individuals.
I teach with positivity in my classroom. I think that if the students see that I am enthusiastic and excited, they feel less ridiculous when they are excited about learning. I teach prepositions with a song and dance. I teach poetry with slam poetry and allow them to write silly things and try out new inflections, accents, and attitudes. I teach plays by having my students participate and organize themselves into a scene read and act it out. I teach commas by teaching them to talk like super-villians. I teach dialect and slang by actually teaching (and using) slang from various parts of the world. I believe in making education and learning fun, inclusive, and positive.
As an only child in a small rural town growing up out in the country, I was often lacking in playmates when at home. I didn't have neighbors, per se; unless you count the farmer's kids about two miles down the road. Books were often my best companions in those pre-Netflix days. So many of my days as a child were spent sitting out on our front porch, looking out over the field in front of our house with a book on my lap. I would gaze out at the nothingness in front of me and dream that I was in New York City, or Narnia, or Victorian-era London. The characters from the stories were often my best friends and constant companions as I went into high school. Dealing with the drama that is adolescence often left me (like most teens) feeling lost and out of place; like I belonged somewhere else. My stories gave me somewhere to belong, people that understood, or sometimes just a way to escape. Through my own reading I have been to magical places like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have partied with Jay Gatsby and pondered about the green light at the end of his dock. I have danced with Mr. Darcy. I have traveled through the mountains of Middle Earth. I have stared onto the moors with Catherine and Heathcliff. I have fought against the injustices of Panem. Just as George R.R. Martin wrote: I have lived a thousand lives--without ever leaving my childhood home.
"I am more interested in arousing enthusiasm in kids than teaching the facts. The facts may change, but that enthusiasm for exploring the world will remain for them for the rest of their lives."--Seymour Simon
I wasn't entirely sure of what my own personal teaching philosophy was until I saw this quote. Enthusiasm: that is what I want to teach; what I want to demonstrate to my own students from my own life and personal and perpetual pursuit of knowledge. It seems like the curriculum that teachers are asked to present is ever-changing and being modified; but if I can instill an ever present curiosity and interest in LEARNING and not in simply achieving good grades, then I am a happy teacher. I believe in teaching students to think for themselves. I believe that each student, no matter their achievement level from state tests, can learn and think on their own. I like for my students to have their own opinions, so long as they can back them up with logic and evidence, and present them in a way that does not offend or harm others. I believe in teaching about the world as a whole. Too many of our students are of the firm belief that they are the center of the universe. By using the incredible works of a variety of authors, and learning about other cultures and people, those adolescents can learn to see through the eyes of others vastly different from themselves.
I also strongly believe in teaching my students to have self-empowerment. It doesn’t do anyone any good to blame their shortcomings on others—I also don’t believe that anyone should ever accept less than their best. I encourage my students to share their opinions, to take pride in their work, to learn from their failures, to present themselves in the best way. I teach the nuances of language, because I believe that in this world of constant connection, the written word will grow to have even more of an influence than it ever has. I teach them to speak, not just to talk, but to speak: to stand tall, speak up, and present themselves as smart and capable individuals.
I teach with positivity in my classroom. I think that if the students see that I am enthusiastic and excited, they feel less ridiculous when they are excited about learning. I teach prepositions with a song and dance. I teach poetry with slam poetry and allow them to write silly things and try out new inflections, accents, and attitudes. I teach plays by having my students participate and organize themselves into a scene read and act it out. I teach commas by teaching them to talk like super-villians. I teach dialect and slang by actually teaching (and using) slang from various parts of the world. I believe in making education and learning fun, inclusive, and positive.