My Teaching Philosophy

Why do I teach?
I teach because helping students develop skills sets, habits of excellence, and a love for learning is important and rewarding. I enjoy the opportunities of interacting with and learning from young people and from my colleagues. I enjoy the creative aspects of teaching and the shaping of classes into learning communities.

What do I teach?
My background is in teaching Spanish to non-native middle school students. I am also certified in Kansas to teach language arts. I am bilingual in Spanish and English and I have experience working with English Language Learners.

I feel it is not only important to help my students to communicate in Spanish by speaking, listening, reading, and writing. In addition, it is my responsibility to help students to develop better study and learning habits, to have greater empathy for their classmates and people in their immediate and global communities, to have a deeper appreciation and respect of differences, and to become life-long learners. Therein lies the challenge and the reward to help students progress in these areas.

How do I teach?
I try a variety of teaching methods to reach a variety of students’ learning styles. If students are not enjoying the activity, or do not see its relevance in their lives, it will be hard for them to learn. The best activities are those that engage and challenge the learner. I use games, songs, cooperative learning activities, technology (the students kept online portfolios of work on their Chromebooks), communicating in Spanish, and creative projects and presentations.

For example, the seventh graders began a unit on food by researching the Columbian Exchange. They created a “museum display” for the younger students by bringing a food item from the “Old World” or the “New World.” They also researched the food item and created an interactive display with “lift the flap” questions to reveal the answer. Other projects included creating a visual presentation describing 10 foods they do not like and 10 foods they do like in Spanish. They memorized the presentation in Spanish and presented it to the class.

I find it important for the students to have meaningful projects that help others. The 8th graders partnered with the 1st graders and read them stories in Spanish, applying reading strategies they had studied. The 1st graders evaluated (using smiling or frowning faces) how well their 8th grade partner did at applying the reading strategies. The 6th graders created board games that the lower grades used to practice a variety of basic vocabulary, and the 7th graders did their own project.

How do I measure my effectiveness?
I use both formal and informal assessments to measure my effectiveness. When students are engaged and excited about learning, I know I have been successful. I look at specific outcomes and results on a daily basis. I use formative assessments (bellringers, pop quizzes, exit slips) multiple times a day to see if students have mastered the outcomes and to prepare them for the summative assessments (which may come in the form of a traditional test, an authentic assessment, or a project). I carefully and constantly reflect on the projects and activities the students do. If a project is “fun” but not helping them master the outcome, I reevaluate and change methods. I find that outcome-driven assessments are important ways to help students learn and to help me evaluate the effectiveness of my teaching.