Teaching Philosophy

I believe my primary job as a teacher is to create a situation that allows children to develop academically and socially in a safe, effective manner. I believe every child can learn, if they get the chance to. As a teacher, I need to make sure they have that chance by optimizing the tools I have.

Classroom

The classroom should be a safe space where a child knows they are respected. It should be organized so that students know where to find things and where they should be. There should be time for quiet study, vigorous discussions, and fun times. In a world that offers so much insecurity, the classroom should be a place they can find refuge.

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Every student comes to class with cultural, racial, and linguistic characteristics that they have had long before they got to school. As their teacher, I can serve them best by understanding the things that make them special and applying that information to the way I teach. If I don't know how to do that, it is up to me to figure it out, and the best way to do that is attempting to communicate with the student and their family.

Instruction

My constructivist view of teaching means that I believe the students make their own knowledge, based on their experiences as a learner, and my role as their teacher is to help them do that. By scaffolding when necessary and challenging the students to continually improve, I can help them develop the tools they need. I believe that discussing metacognitive skills helps students understand how they can take control of their own learning. This is a key to instilling a growth mindset in our students.

While specific curricula or technologies certainly can assist in effective teaching, they are only useful to the degree that they help a student gain a true internal understanding of a topic. Lessons should offer students a variety of ways to interact with the material and should incorporate the ideas of retrieval practice and clear feedback to ensure that students engage topics on level that result in actual changes in their developing brains.

Resume

I come to teaching after a full life exploring many different fields. In addition to my teaching experience, I have worked as a project manager, a sales system administrator, and a soldier in the US Army. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to over two dozen countries. I plan to use this breadth of experience to help students see what they can do if they try.

Teaching Experience

Student Teacher
Rose City Park Elementary
August 2020-April 2021

• Coordinated with cooperating teacher to teach third grade curriculum

•  Developed lesson plans based on Engage NY mathematics and Units of Study reading and writing curricula

•  Created videos daily for asynchronous instruction using Zoom, QuickTime, Seesaw, and Google Classroom

•  Collaborated with third grade teachers, counselors, and learning specialist in Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings to plan curriculum and solve challenges facing students

• Taught both whole class and small groups via Zoom in the Covid-restricted online environment

Summer Learning Program Tutor
University of Portland
July 2020 to August 2020

• Tutored with team of two other MAT to assist two fifth-grade students

• Planned lessons and lead instruction in math and language arts via Zoom

English Teacher
People-Places-Things
July 2016 to May 2017

• Taught adult group classes at Multnomah County Libraries

• Worked with teaching team to improve English learners' pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary

• Led interactive classes designed to encourage interaction between students and build confidence in English learners

Education

Other Work Experience

Business Analyst and System Administrator
Cirrus Logic    
January 2007 to June 2012

Project Manager
Level 3 Communications
July 2004 to December 2006

Communications NCO
United States Army   
July 1997 to July 2002