Kaleigh R. Mangiarelli
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
As an educator, it is my goal to provide each of my students with the unique learning experience that they require in order to reach each individual potential.
It is my job as an educator to fulfill the following goals:
Figure out strategies for each individual student to achieve their academic goals.
Set students up for success in order to build the confidence they need to succeed.
Encourage students to feel empowered to both push themselves and self-advocate.
In order to fulfill each of these three goals, it is my responsibility as an educator to:
Develop A Positive Rapport With Each Student
Developing this sense of trust within the classroom is vital in providing students with their best learning experience. When students feel comfortable within a classroom, their stress levels can lower, simply because they are able to express these stresses. It is my first and foremost goal to provide students with a low-stress learning environment in which they feel safe and also respected.
Set Students Up For Success
While setting students up for success is a teaching principal at my school, I believe it is also something all educators should strive for. In order for students to develop confidence in themselves and in their learning process, it is important for them to first feel successful. Many students with LBLDs have not experienced the feeling of success before, especially in an academic context. This can shatter their confidence in themselves as a student, which plays a role in multiple other layers of their lives. When students experience even the smallest of successes, it can change the way they feel about and approach school.
Empower Students To Take Ownership of Their Education
Many students who have experienced failure are afraid to ask for help. When they do not ask for help where they need it, they continue to fail, only furthering the downward spiral. If a student needs help understanding something, they will probably need help more than once. If a student has the courage to advocate for him/herself one time, this does not mean they will have that courage every time.
In summary...
The classroom should be a place where students feel safe, successful, and engaged. Students need to feel safe before they can feel anything else. Additionally, students should feel respected as a person before they can feel confident in themselves as a student. When students feel safe, they can develop confidence as a learner, and when they develop confidence, they are more likely to take the academic risks necessary to be successful. Finally, students should feel engaged in the classroom, and engaged in their academic path as well. When students start to care about their own education, that is when they are most successful. It’s on me, as an educator, to show each student that we care about them. Once students truly believe this, they will care about themselves and where they are going.