Elizabeth Hick

My philosophy on education centers around a hands on learning approach and the belief that all students can learn. I practice and promote teaching that engages students in in-depth investigations with objects, materials, phenomena, ideas and the relationship among them. I believe that this approach enables them to draw meaning and understanding and the experiences provide students with the skills that will enable them to think critically, be life-long learners, prepare them to function effectively and successfully in an information rich economy as well as provide them with problem solving skills.   

 

I consider classrooms to be communities of diverse learners where students can learn from each other, take academic risks, support each other, and value listening and speaking. Therefore, I feel that it is imperative to provide a safe environment where students and adults are respected, where decisions are made, and students can achieve. The term safe classroom environment encompasses many aspects of safety, not only the comfort for students to share ideas and learn. A safe classroom environment means teaching and learning how to prevent and resolve conflict and promote anti-bullying. Nowadays, students are interacting more and more with digital technology, therefore, it is important that they are prepared to use it appropriately and responsibly. I believe that digital citizenship plays an important role in the safety and respect of the classroom, as well as, the creation of a physically safe environment. It has been my experience that when students feel safe at school then they attend school and when they attend school they learn.

 

I feel that students need to see explicit modeling by the teacher in order to learn. I believe teacher modeling comes in many forms. In addition to modeling rules, good behavior, and skills & concepts, I also model how to question and inquire, how to begin tackling real-world problems, and the thought process of reading for understanding and writing comprehensively. When modeling or demonstrating for students this practice provides a clear visual that students can work from. I believe modeling should be an active process in that, as the teacher is demonstrating a skill or concept, they should also model what they are thinking, questioning and understanding. I have found that by scaffolding instruction through modeling it makes it easier for the students to understand, keeps them engaged, and helps to learn.

 

It has always been my goal as a teacher to have my students relate the subjects that I taught, in particular math, science, and technology to real-life situations.  I believe in order for students to learn and keep that knowledge, they need to see its significance as it applies to their own lives.  Students need to be made aware of the connections school has to themselves, their home, their community, the world, and to the future. As Carl Rogers, a humanistic psychologist states, “A person learns significantly only those things that are perceived as being involved in the maintenance of or enhancement of the structure of self.” (Rogers, 1951). This supports the idea that students need to see relevance in order to learn. But by showing or pointing out relevance and connections to real-world situations is just not enough. Students need to take what they learn and actually have the experience of applying it. Application of knowledge can be very motivating for students, by making learning fun, interesting and challenging.

 

In thinking about the future of education and any concerns I see our society encountering, I would have to say it would be in the area of achievement gaps. Closing the achievement gap between race and gender is one of the top priorities in education. I think in order to close this gap school districts must provide students with access to technology in and out of the schools and train teachers to implement this feature in the classroom with the goal of getting students 21st century ready.  

 

As an educator of 15 years I have experienced a diverse pool of learners and thinkers. I have learned to take into consideration all of the learning styles and theories and use those to assess my students individually and implement strategies that met their needs. As a teacher I have a tremendous responsibility to my students and community. I take this position very seriously and work at being a positive influence as an educator and person.