Teaching Philosophy
“It’s about the kids,” is the phrase that best describes the values and principles that shape my decisions. Doing what is good for the kids is not always analogous to what the school, teacher or even parents want to be ‘good.’ Nevertheless, I believe that a good educator makes decisions based on a goal conceived according to reliable data and a well-formulated schema. I believe in consensus building but also I believe in relying on my ability to see the larger picture and my knowledge of how students are engaged in their learning. In this belief, others become part of the team and a consensus is reached. However, I understand that consensus may not always be feasible due to fear of change, the suspicion of a new program or the allegiance to the status quo. In this regard, I see my role as someone who can show others the veracity of change.
I teach using research-based educational designs to lead change, to inspire innovative ways of reaching the ‘hard to reach kids.’ The leadership skill I possess includes the ability to articulate and project a strong commitment to a goal; the ability to understand when to be decisive and when to seek consensus; the flexibility to change set objectives in order to meet a goal; perseverance; and the ability to delegate. I am a highly qualified professional in the field of special education and am highly regarded by my peers, academic institutions and the clients I serve. As a dedicated educator, I consider myself a highly motivated teacher leader, ready to use her professional skills to improve the way ‘we’ teach and ‘hard’ to reach kids.
Leadership is about knowing when to build consensus and when to take action. . .consensus is often built along the way as goals are realized. For example, I devised and proposed an action plan to institute a Response to Intervention program for elementary school children who were performing below grade level in math (15% of the population). The administration attributed this to the teacher’s’ failure to teach the curriculum content; teachers blamed students and parents for not studying enough and both blamed the special services teachers (reading/ESL/Special Education) for not identifying students faster. Meetings were held to discuss the testing scores and how to improve them. The meetings evolved into self-defense rhetoric and assigning blame. We had lost sight of what was important, ‘the kids.’
The proposal I devised was a researched program substantiated with reliable data from sources such as the National Center for Response to Intervention; National Foundation for Educational Research and the Institute of Education Sciences. The plan was accepted by the head of school and elementary principal and thus an eight-week math learning lab ‘pilot’ program was created. The implementation of the learning labs was an administrative decision. Staff was advised but a consensus was not required. The learning labs proved to be effective. Student progress was monitored weekly using curriculum-based probes. At the end of eight weeks, 90% of the students had improved their performance. Those students who made insufficiently or no improvement were identified for special education services. Teachers and administrators were happy with the results. The kids received immediate and adequate academic interventions. When the labs were discussed at the end of eight weeks, the consensus was that they would continue to be used in the coming year. It had become ‘about the kids.
Besides being involved in activities in the school (tennis coach, technology chair, Student Study Team Coordinator), I have dedicated time to sharing learning/teaching strategies with parents, educators and school administrators. I have become a seasoned presenter and have been invited to speak at conferences such as the ‘Mediterranean Association for International Schools’ (Spain and Tunisia), the ‘European Conference for International Schools’ (Nice and Italy) and the ‘Rome International School Association (Italy). Workshops titles include: “Self-Correction Spelling”, “Effective Classroom Management Tools”; “Metacognition Strategies for Learning”; “What My Teacher Should Know About My Learning Style;” “How to navigate the complexity of academics and extracurricular activities;” and “RtI in the International School Setting.” Presenting to my colleagues and peers has proved to be a positive learning experience for me. With each presentation, I delve deeper into subjects that increase my knowledge base and desire to learn more.