Profile of an Excellent Teacher

My teaching philosophy based on a series of observations, student teaching, and reflections.

Teaching Principles

Attending the Learner

As a teacher, I. . .

Know Each of My Scholar's Names

I never call my scholars by a number I have assigned for them or by their descriptions or characteristics.
Instead, I always call them by their names or what they prefer to be called.
By doing this I show my scholars that I see them as individuals, not as statistics.

Build Genuine Relationships with Each of My Scholars

I learn about each of their interests and personalities.
I dedicate significant time at the beginning of the semester to get to know my scholars and for them to get to know one another.
Doing so can help me to better adapt my lessons and activities to fit their needs and interests.

Create a Safe and Positive Classroom Environment

I help my scholars know that they should not be afraid of making mistakes.
I refrain from raising my voice or becoming angry with my scholars when things are going wrong.
I recognize that scholars need encouragement and attentiveness which is done by speaking calmly and quietly.
By encouraging all efforts that are made my scholars have an opportunity to try again when they are ready without worrying about making me upset.

The Learner as a Doer

As a teacher, I . . .

Give My Scholars Opportunities to be Active in Their Learning

I give them different choices they can choose from when completing a task.
For example, when writing essays, my scholars can choose from multiple essay questions and then write their responses.
This way they can find the question that they believe they can support the best instead of only having one option.

Provide Opportunities for Each Scholar to Teach and Learn

By teaching their peers my scholars have a personal connection to the material and are able to retain information for longer.
This is done through spaced reviews, pair-and-shares, and presentations.
Even when working with young scholars, they have certain roles that allow them to attend to one another.

Plan Times to Observe My Scholars' Work without Correction

This way, my scholars learn that they can look to themselves for the answers without going to me to fix them every time.
They learn to be independent and grow their autonomy in their work.
This also allows me to check on each scholar quickly and notice common errors that I can cover with the entire class.

Negotiation of Meaning

As a teacher, I . . .

Adjust the Seating According to the Needs of the Scholars

I change the layout of the classroom to allow scholars to talk amongst themselves and figure things out on their own.
For example, when the scholars are sitting on the carpet their focus is on the front. However, when they are at their desks their focus is on each other and they can ask one another questions when needed.
This way the scholars know which environments they can talk with each other and which environments they should negotiate meaning for themselves.

Allow Scholars to Ask and Answer Questions

My scholars feel comfortable asking each other questions and do not rely on me to answer all of their questions.
When my scholars are working on an assignment they are free to talk with their table mates as long as they are on task. If they have a question they ask the people they are sitting next to. If their question isn't answered or if they need clarifying information then they come to me for help.
This way the entire class can continue working without interruptions if only a couple people need help. I can focus on answering questions that the entire class shares. It also gives the scholars responsibility and classroom ownership.

Provide a Variety of Pair and Group Work

I give my scholars time to discuss their thoughts and concerns in pairs and groups before sharing them with the class.
For example, when I ask my scholars what we talked about last class I give them a couple of minutes to talk with their table mates to review what they remembered.
My scholars have time to check their understanding and clarify information before moving on.

Learning Objectives

As a teacher, I . . .

Begin With the End in Mind

When creating a lesson plan I identify the learning objectives and form the assessment and activities accordingly.
I follow the common core standards for the grade, create learning learning objectives, and then find ways to accurately fulfill the learning objectives based on the scholar's needs and interests.
By identifying and writing the learning objectives first the focus on the lesson is less about what I will say and teach and more about what the scholars will learn and take away.

Create Student-led Learning Objectives

I base my learning objectives around the scholars and what they can accomplish because of the lesson.
My learning objectives begin with "Students can. . ." so they can place themselves in the center of their learning.
As the scholars place the responsibility of learning on themselves they become in control of what they do and how they learn. This motivates them to achieve the learning objectives because of how they push themselves.

Display Lesson Plans in My Classroom

I post the learning objectives in the same place every day for my scholars, peer, and adminstration to see.
I write the daily and weekly learning objectives on the board and say them out loud for the class especially when teaching young scholars.
When scholars understand what they are supposed to do, they can work more intentionally to do it.

The Teacher's Meta-Language

As a teacher, I . . .

Utilize a Variety of Communicative Activities

I understand the need to minimize teacher talking time (TTT) and ensure the language I use in each activity is contextualized, purposeful, and communicative.
I take time with each stage of the lesson to ensure my scholars understand the purpose and benefit of each activity. For example, after giving instructions I have my scholars repeat back what they are expected
By utilizing communicative activities I make the most out of my talking time which leads my scholars to have more time to learn.

Illustrate Concepts with Examples

Whenever I introduce a new concept to my scholars I make sure to share examples with them.
When teaching Language Arts I do an example of writing on the whiteboard and with the class. Additionally, I give examples when someone asks a question to help them see the use of the concept.
Doing so helps the scholars contextualize the concepts and find relevance in the applied subject.

Scaffold and Break Down Difficult Concepts

I assign one or more concepts to a lesson and break it down in each stage. This way the task is less daunting and becomes more achievable.
For a reading assignment, I take frequent breaks in the text and only focus on one section at a time. I understand that scholars can only understand things in specific contexts so I preface each section with background and review.
This allows scholars to ask questions or clarifications after a short section instead of all at the end. Time is used more efficiently and the content is remembered more deeply.

The Language of Questions

As a teacher, I . . .

Ask Open-ended Questions

Instead of merely asking yes or no questions, I ask questions that could have a variety of answers.
When asking about strategies my students use, I do not ask them to recite a list of memorized strategies, I allow them to share strategies that they actuallu use.
I ask questions to assess what my scholars know, not for them to try to guess what I am thinking. This helps me to know if I need to review the material or if I can move on.

Am Comfortable With Silence

After asking questions I utilize Wait-Time by pausing for a few seconds to allow my scholars to think. I do not worry about the silence but allow it to take its space.
When I ask a question and students do not raise their hands I do not rephrase my question or call on any scholars until a couple of moments have passed. I maintain eye contact with the students so they know that I am waiting for an answer from them.
It benefits all students but most importantly helps scholars who have special needs or who are not native speakers have time to think about the question before someone else answers it.

Allow Opportunities For Reflection

I ask questions that allow scholars to take time for self-reflection and analysis. These questions are used throughout the lesson to guide the learning process.
I ask my scholars about their experiences with the first activity before beginning the second activity. From this, my scholars can ask me questions in return if they find some difficulty with certain parts of the task.
Many times scholars won't recognize difficulties with the tasks until they have time to reflect on their experience. They see that other people have similar challenges and that it is an issue that is not caused by themselves.

Motivation

As a teacher, I . . .

Display a Growth Mindset

I believe that my scholars all can learn and grow. I do not believe that any of them are stuck the way the way they are.
I never give up on helping a student. I tell them that I will always support them. I also encourage my scholars to have a growth mindset as well.
By displaying a growth mindset, I motivate my scholars to want to learn and change. As they believe they can learn, they will.

Encourage and Compliment My Scholars

I compliment my scholars when they try. I do not just compliment my scholars when they succeed, but also when they fail.
I understand that some of my scholars require encouragement throughout the learning process and not just after. For example, I thank my scholars for listening to the instructions when they start out a worksheet or activity.
It benefits the scholars by giving them extra encouragement along the way. They do not have to wait until the very end to feel accomplished. They can be proud of all of the little successes they make along the way.

Allow Time for Self-Reflection and Progress Reports

I show my scholars their progress throughout the learning process. They are given opportunities to look over their past work and compare it to their current work.
One way that I do this is by including spaced reviews on past learning objectives. I show them vocabulary words that we studied in the past and allow my scholars to see all of the progress they have made. They compare the amount of words they knew at the beginning to now.
This helps my scholars to be included in their own learning. They can evaluate themselves and see what else they need to do to succeed.