1. Colleen McGillicuddy’s
Teaching Philosophy
As an educator, I believe in…
Nurturing the Whole Child
I understand that children are not just an academic product of my class; each child has his
or her own unique background, emotional complexities, and individual worth. I believe first and
foremost as an educator it is my role to not only help foster children’s intellectual growth but
also their self -esteem. My background in psychology has been paramount in understanding the
importance of teaching to the whole student for their long-term success in life.
High Standards
Social psychologist Lev Vygotsky said, “Children grow into the intellectual life of those
around them.” I believe that when children are expected to do great things, they rise to the
occasion. Creating a classroom environment of high expectations for best effort to be put forth,
as well as art, current events, and real-life application for lessons, students can grow to become
articulate, thoughtful, conscientious learners—it will simply be the norm.
Celebrating Diversity
As a teacher, I love the challenge of incorporating different learning styles and cultures.
Traveling abroad and having multiple learning styles myself, I understand the importance of
incorporating diversity. Knowing Garner’s Theory of Eight Intelligences helps me teach lessons
with as many learning styles in mind as possible. Examples include: TPR, reader’s theater, art
projects, team collaboration, hands-on math manipulatives, and visual presentations of lessons.
When students share their own unique fortes and cultural background, their learning
experiences are enriched, their self-worth is enhanced, and our classroom community grows.
Enthusiasm
Throughout my life, enthusiasm has been my strongest asset, and there is no better way to
use it than in teaching children. I believe enthusiasm can be the bridge between an unmotivated
student and a student who is eager to learn. I implement enthusiasm in one-on-one interactions
with children, in teaching lessons, and in my encouragement to students on a personal level.
A Growth Mindset
Carol Dweck among other researchers continue to find that a growth mindset—a belief
that our success is based off hard work, making mistakes, learning, and resilience—increases
self-efficacy and motivation to learn. By encouraging children to have a growth mindset through
explicit lessons and the wording of my encouragement, I believe children can find the tools they
need to render magnificent results in their learning-- more than they thought possible.