This educator believes that teachers must reflect on their own practices, collaborate authentically with colleagues, and engage in collaborative learning to improve instruction and student outcomes. They state that effective collaborative learning involves teachers reflecting together on their practices, sharing resources, analyzing student work, researching strategies, and creating a safe environment to improve teaching and help students.

1. Statement of Educational Philosophy
I believe that to grow as a teacher you must be willing to look within yourself
and ask yourself to reflect about your practice. With this reflective perspective, you
must also be willing to cooperate professionally and authentically with your
colleagues. I believe that authentic collaborative learning is beneficial and critical
for teachers to improve their instruction and improve student-learning outcomes.
Collaborative learning is more than just “setting a time” and “place” to meet with
other teachers, it is an opportunity for you and your colleagues to come together and
be reflective of your own practices and dig deeper so you may evolve and grow as a
educators. It is an unwritten contract among peers that educating is about building
a strong and positive learning community. With this in heart and mind,
collaborative learning is sharing resources, analyzing student work, researching the
best evidence-based strategies, modeling best practices in the classroom, and a
selfless and safe environment to improve teacher practice and ultimately student
outcomes that should be explored on a regular basis.