1. Teaching Philosophy
My philosophy for teaching has evolved over the course of my experiences in classrooms and
interacting with students. I have had the great opportunity to be present, contribute, and reflect
on a variety of teaching curriculums and styles. I have spent time in schools with a very large
population and schools with much smaller numbers. I have experienced rural school districts
with a high socioeconomic status and those from urban areas with much lower a status. Through
all these teaching experiences, it is clear to me that the job of every teacher is to
 spark enthusiasm for learning;
 establish a positive learning environment;
 and provide a strong foundation for lifelong learning
Enthusiasm for English content stems from a love of reading and writing. Students need to read,
read, read. I am a strong advocate for consistent reading in every secondary education English
Language Arts classroom.
I believe that students learn best when teachers model first, guide students through, and then
allow for independence with the content. As a teacher, I take on the role of demonstrator of
content and facilitator to learning in the classroom. As a model teacher, I focus on delivering
content through modeling and demonstration instead of lecturing. By modeling the correct way
to do the task, I act as a mentor and value student participation as an important facet of the
lesson. I strive to incorporate varied instruction for different learning styles into each lesson and
all materials. As a facilitator, I feel students should be responsible for their own learning and be
more independent in the lessons. I embrace collaborative projects with peer-to-peer conferencing
and learning groups. Cooperative learning activities and varied instruction to allow for
independence are a big part of my teaching style.
An English Language Arts classroom can look different than most other classrooms because the
content involves two separate and distinct features: reading and writing. In the past, ELA
curriculum units either focused solely on reading or on writing. In my classroom, reading and
writing are covered in every lesson. Every day the students have a specific focus for their reading
and a related writing focus. It is important for students to read and write every day because these
tools are the foundation for all of their future learning.