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Philosophy of Teaching - April 2004

While my beliefs regarding the education of young people are always progressing, the statements below summarize my strongest convictions regarding the processes of teaching and learning:

A teacher’s primary focus should be to foster in their students a love and desire for learning throughout their lives.

Teachers should be experts in curriculum and instruction in order to help their students achieve great things.

Teachers need to continue to grow professionally throughout their career through collegial partnerships, university classes, and attendance at conferences and other professional events.

Teachers must be knowledgeable about the latest developments in learning theory with emphasis on brain research and learning styles.

Education should stress lifelong learning in an active atmosphere through instructional methods that address all learning styles.

All students acquire knowledge differently, whether it is through spatial, kinesthetic, logical, musical, linguistic, interpersonal, and/or intrapersonal means.

Learning how to learn has become more important than learning factual information and teaching and learning should take place “just in time” rather than “just in case.” 

Good teaching should strive to have students achieve higher order thinking skills, especially analysis and synthesis of knowledge.

Students at all grade levels should use computers and related technology when appropriate so that they become and continue to be comfortable with inevitable technological change.

All levels of a child’s education play an important role in their social and emotional development. 

Students should have an active voice in their education and should be encouraged to express their desire to learn about topics of special interest to them.

Schools should strive to reflect the needs of the individual student as well as the needs of the community outside of the school.

Parents play a critical role in the success of their student in school and should be involved in more appropriate and meaningful ways in their child’s education.