Teaching Beliefs

Over the past couple of weeks, I have consciously taken the time and effort to press pause on my busy, hectic schedule and really reflect (or envision) what the perfect classroom would look like to me. When I close my eyes, I first see a clearly organized, welcoming room with student work hanging up for everyone to admire. I also see other posters and artwork that contribute positively to the classroom environment and the students’ overall learning. Additionally, I would notice students throughout the classroom following the daily schedule/routines, hard at work but also enjoying the activity at the same time. While the thought of this picture is extremely pleasant and reassuring, I realize that in order to create a positive learning environment and experience for young learners, I must first dig deep within and discover what just what are my teaching beliefs.

As I sit here this chilly, winter evening, sipping hot cocoa and bundling up under my blankets, I am taking into account the thoughtful discussions and readings we did for my literacy learning and teaching course. I am discovering what, as of now, I consider my teaching beliefs to be. I understand that everyday I am continually learning from others, so my views are likely to change as the semester continues or once I start teaching. But as of right now, it doesn’t hurt to share with my lovely followers what I am thinking. In this blog post, and in many more to come, I am going to define some of my teaching beliefs to you and imagine how I could align those beliefs with my teaching practices.

Since I am almost done being an undergraduate and I am about to step foot in my very own classroom (ahhhh), it is extremely useful and necessary for my kiddos, to establish my beliefs well ahead of time. Since this particular blog is dedicated to my literacy class, many of my ideas may relate to reading and writing, but that does not mean that some of it wont tie into other subjects and activities as well.

The very first belief that comes to mind is that it is valuable to create lessons that are meaningful, and even consider my students such as their interests and backgrounds. I want my students to be engaged and excited to learn EVERYDAY and one way for me to do that is by taking time to really get to know my students individually and to keep in mind what they like and how they learn best. It is also beneficial to continually search for more successful ways to teach my class and to also be an expert in the content area too.

My next teaching belief is that it is critical to create a classroom environment that is at all times welcoming, safe and fair. I will always appreciate and remember the past teachers who took the time and effort to make sure everyone in the room felt valued and heard. Students should feel that the teacher and their fellow classmates always respect them, and that they are free to ask questions, discuss, etc. without being judged. This can easily be done if it is set into place at the beginning of the school term.

The third idea that I stand by is that all of my students are capable of learning (and more specifically, when it comes to literacy, all of my students are readers and writers). I will always believe in my students and hold high expectations for them on a daily basis. The things that we learn in my classroom will be somewhat challenging but achievable.

Lastly, as an educator, not only will I plan to be a positive role model for my students, but also I want to create lasting relationships with them. I want my students to know that I value what they have to say and that they can always come to me even if it has nothing to do with what we are learning in class.

These are just some current ideas that I hold true and dear to my heart. Even though I will continue to grow in my knowledge and beliefs, I am certain that I am at a good starting point and I will keep learning everyday!

Let me know what you think.

-Ms. B