Pedagogy

My philosophy of education is that students each draw their personal cultural framework and their own
prior experiences to their learning. Students are individuals. They must have a stimulating educational
environment where they can grow mentally, emotionally, and socially to achieve the success that they desire. It is my intent to instill love for lifelong learning that will stay with the students long after my classroom instruction ends. To accomplish this goal, I foster an atmosphere where students can meet their full potential, providing a safe environment where students are invited to share their ideas andtake risks.

A large part of my job is to offer mentorship for student success. I believe that there are five essential
elements that are conducive to learning. (1) The teacher’s role is to act as a guide (2) Students must
have access to primary documents, experiential hands-on field experiences and cultural activities to practice skills and reinforce classroom instruction. (3) Students should be able to have some choices in writing and presentation assignments, to encourage their curiosity to stimulate their learning. (4)Students should be encouraged to explore critical questions and ideas collectively; and (5) Technology and multi-media should be utilized in an appropriate manner.

As a mentor and guide, I ensure all students have access to the foundations necessary for success. These
foundational elements include core subject knowledge, critical reading and thinking, and writing skills.
Students benefit from applying the foundational knowledge and theory through tactile and sensory hands-on practice through field assignments. Students should be encouraged to share experiential knowledge with each other and encourage to explore questions together. I do this by encouraging a
study buddy/ pair and share, assigning small group discussion/projects, and utilizing Socratic and
popular education (Freirean) methods.

Technology is both a blessing and a curse. I allow only appropriate technology use in the but also give out-of-class assignments that require use of technology, including but not limited to videos and internet-based multimedia information.