Teaching Philosophy & Classroom Management Plan by Jose De La Cruz Santana

Motivation

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 01:54:35 UTC

When I first decided to be a teacher, I wanted to be a teacher that resembled the characteristics that my favorite teachers had: being caring, challenging, engaging, and being excited about their job. Yet, I also thought about the teachers I didn’t want to be like: those who yelled at their students, punished and humiliated their students, and held prejudices against their students. As I’ve gained experience in the field, I’ve learned how important our role is in students’ lives. Now, my motivation for teaching has become to ensure my students feel secure while learning and while at school. This means that I show my students that I love and care about them, but also that I will do what I can to ensure that they are learning in an environment that fits their individual needs.

Teaching Philosophy Statement

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 01:56:41 UTC

I believe that an effective education should be rooted in inclusivity, equity, and care. Students’ identities should be represented in the curriculum, in the classroom, and at the school. When educators foster inclusivity in education, they help students create positive self-images of themselves and of their peers, fostering a sense of community and belonging. Second, students should have equal access to the resources they need, regardless of economic status. Here, educators and parents work together to “level the playing field” for all students so students can best develop and demonstrate learning. Third, educators should demonstrate that they care about all students. Here, communication and positive relationships amongst educators, students, parents and the community is key to students’ academic success and well-being.

Rationale

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:02:28 UTC

Inclusivity, equity, and care are key to student success. Inclusivity provides students with a mirror to their experiences and a window into their peer’s experiences, which can result in students who work towards social justice. To create equity, educators should work with the community to ensure that students can obtain the resources and services they need, whenever they need them, at little to no cost to them, to ensure that students can learn without having to worry about potential barriers holding them back. To demonstrate care, educators and students must build positive relationships where both parties understand that the students’ success and well-being is the main priority. Teachers, parents, and administrators must also work as a team to ensure students feel valued and secure both in school and out of school

Impact

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:03:50 UTC

When educators work to represent their students in education, they help students develop positive self-esteem and a positive self-image because students understand that their teachers so value and respect their identities. By providing students with the resources and services they need, students will be granted a fair opportunity to develop and demonstrate their learning. Barriers to learning become obsolete, and the student and their learning becomes the focal point of education. Finally, when educators work to build positive relationships with students, students are able to vocalize and express how they are feeling without fear of being judged or ignored. By caring for students, educators create an environment that demonstrates respect, appreciation, and fosters a sense of community

Classroom Community

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:27:46 UTC

I want to establish a feeling of security and belonging within my classroom. I want to accomplish this by allowing my students to be active participants in establishing norms and expectations, by making the classroom a space that reflects their identities, and by taking the time to get to know and check in on all my students.

Establishing Norms and Guidelines

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:29:08 UTC

Although students will be presented the school-wide rules, students and the teachers will participate in creating the classroom’s norms and expectations. By co-creating these guidelines, the classroom transforms into a joyful and secure place “… where taking risks, making plentiful mistakes, and learning new skills in order to find a better way are part of the daily practice” (Cassetta & Sawyer, 2015, p. 46). Students have the opportunity to listen and collaborate with their classmates and teacher, come to an agreement with what guidelines will be established, and can hold themselves and each other accountable for maintaining positive relationships and a positive classroom environment.

Identity Reflected within the Classroom

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:30:38 UTC

In order to allow students to find their identities reflected in the classroom, I plan on having my students help me decorate my classroom. I would want them to bring something or tell me what they like so I can purchase it and display it in my classroom. It could be a family picture, a toy or stuffed animal, a poster, etc. By having something in the class that reflects their identity, students can look towards the item they chose to remind themselves that they are a part of the class, they belong in that space, and that together makes up the classroom community.

Positive Relationships Between Students and Teacher

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:32:31 UTC

To build positive relationships between myself and my students, I plan to follow suggestions made in our readings: spending time getting to know students (Hope, 2021) and sending surveys to parents to get to know them and their children (Cassetta and Sawyer, 2015, p. 9-10). I would spend a couple of minutes a day the first two weeks getting to know my students, and then I would set up time in the morning or before dismissal to listen to how my students are doing or feeling. In addition, I plan on spending non-instructional time with my students during lunch or during recess so I can learn more about them without focusing on academics. If I am having trouble learning about students or if I want to learn more about them, I would send a family survey home so parents could tell me more about themselves and their children. Oftentimes, parents tell us information that benefits our relationships with their children while also helping us meet their needs.

Classroom Agreements and Expectations

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:34:44 UTC

Students and I would establish community agreements together. During the planning phase, I would pose questions such as “How should we treat each other? What should we do if we need something or if we have a problem? How can we regulate ourselves to ensure we are meeting our class needs and our own needs?” After posing these types of questions, students will have the opportunity to think, discuss, and share responses to these questions. Even if students’ responses are do’s or don’ts, their suggestions will be written down. After writing down their responses, we can vote on which expectations are the ones they prefer the most, and the top three to five will be the ones the class will choose as the classroom guidelines. Before establishing those agreements, I would change the wording so the guideline always seems to be positive (ex: instead of “Don’t hit”, we would have “Use hands for writing, coloring, waving at friends, and helping others”). The goal of having positive wording in guidelines is to make the guideline attainable for all while also positively reinforcing procedures when the guidelines are not followed. Before establishing the agreements, I would look over them and add any that may not be thought of by students. My goal is to create a classroom community where students feel comfortable learning and being present.

Classroom Procedures and Routines

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:40:49 UTC

Classroom procedures and routines I would teach my students include read alouds, independent work while teacher works with groups, and coming into class after recess or lunch.

Read Alouds

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:42:09 UTC

During read aloud time, students will be expected to listen and look at the book being read by the teacher. This would be something the teacher establishes on the first day of school, and continues modeling the whole week. The teacher would model how students should be seated, what is expected of them during the read aloud, and what the teacher will say if they see students who need to be redirected. Students will sit quietly on the carpet, crisscross, with their eyes looking at the page being read. The teacher will ask students to raise their hand if they have a comment about the book or if the teacher asks a question and they would like to answer. However, the teacher would try their best to find a role for students while reading the book, such as singing a part of the book, rhyming the ends of sentences, etc., so students can be active participants in the reading. The teacher will state that “They are looking for students who are listening to the story, sitting with their legs crossed, and participating when it’s their turn in the story” to ensure students are on task, but also to avoid singling out students who may not be on task. This allows all students to meet the expectation the teacher has without the teacher praising or singling out students. Students will know they are following the teacher’s directions if they are sitting correctly, looking at the book, participating while doing the read aloud, and enjoying what is being read

Independent Work During Teacher-Group Time

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:45:05 UTC

After the first 6 weeks, the teacher will work with groups in order to differentiate instruction to meet students’ needs. The teacher will create groups that meet once a week to work on the acquisition of new skills and knowledge. While the teacher does group work, the rest of the class will work on other assignments independently. Voices should be no louder than a whisper so the teacher can listen to the group they are working with. Two lists will be displayed detailing what the tasks for the independent work time are and how to solve a problem before talking to the teacher. The first list, an agenda, may include journal work, a worksheet, reading, or computer work. The teacher will outline what tasks should be completed by students, while also letting students know what should be done when all tasks are completed. The second list, a manual, will guide students on how to solve their problems if they encounter one while the teacher is doing group work. The manual will provide students with the skills and resources to address any issues they have before coming to the teacher. Since group work is limited but key to student success, interrupting the teacher should be a last resort for students and used only for serious issues. The teacher will model how independent work should look like, how to address problems if they arise, and will practice independent work time for two weeks before implementing group time into independent work time. Students who complete the majority of their assignments, who work quietly or only talk in a whisper, and students who solve their problems using the manual on the whiteboard or smart board will demonstrate that they are on task and following the guidelines set up by the teacher.

Coming into Class After Recess or Lunch

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:47:23 UTC

Coming into class after recess or lunch

Students will come in quietly, with a calm body, listening and ready to learn. Students may get a drink of water from their water bottles, but are expected to listen and follow the teacher’s instructions while they take a drink. Students are also expected to have used the restroom before coming back from recess or lunch. Students take a seat at their desk or at the carpet and are ready to learn. This would be practiced the first two weeks of school. Students who may need a drink of water from a water fountain or may need to use the restroom after coming back from recess or lunch will be permitted to meet their needs, but will be reminded that they must meet their needs prior to coming back to class. The teacher will also walk students out to recess and lunch early so students can have the opportunity to use the restroom or get a drink of water to avoid having students step out right after recess. Students who use the bathroom or get water during recess or lunch, who come into the classroom quietly and with a calm body, and listen to and follow the teacher’s tasks will know they are doing what they are supposed to.

Technology in the Classroom

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:55:28 UTC

I believe technology is a key resource that aids the field of education in learning. Students should be taught to use technology responsibly at an early age to promote morally and ethically correct net citizenship.

Using Technology in Education

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 02:58:59 UTC

As a teacher, it is my job to model and teach digital citizenship. We are in an era where technology use and social media use is common, which means being wary and responsible of how we use these digital tools is highly important. In effect, educators must be aware of their online presence and activity, ensuring they are being safe and responsible while using the internet. In addition, educators must teach their students how to use technology appropriately, ensuring that their use of the internet is safe, ethical, and responsible. Educators also have a responsibility to integrate technology in the class in a way that creates opportunities for all students to demonstrate their full understandings. In effect, I plan on using the technology around me to make learning accessible, equitable, inclusive and joyful. Similarly, I will teach students how to be safe and responsible with technology, while also modeling and practicing digital citizenship myself.

Technology as Equitable and Accessible

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 03:02:13 UTC

I plan on making technology equitable and accessible by partnering with community members, school officials, businesses and educational institutions to provide the resources students may lack or need. This includes purchasing or donating devices for schools, providing internet access at no cost to families, providing spaces where students can do their assignments outside of school, and providing students with access to information that is peer reviewed or would otherwise be difficult to access if these partnerships were not made.

Technology as Inclusive

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 03:05:47 UTC

I plan on using technology to promote inclusivity by pulling information from the internet that is personally relevant and relates to students’ identities. When students are not represented in the curriculum, we can use technology to adapt the curriculum so everyone can be represented in education.

Technology as Joyful

jrdelacruzsantana — 2023-09-11 03:07:00 UTC

I plan on using technology to make learning joyful by finding content that addresses the standards and curriculum in a unique and fun manner. Similarly, I can use technology to let my students explore their interests or to have fun when they need a break or after an important assessment or activity.

Technology as Necessary for Education

jrdelacruzsantana — 2024-05-19 20:51:01 UTC

In our current era, technology is vital for education. We use technology in many ways, which enhance how we teach and assess student learning. Using the SAMR model, educators can change the way we educate our students, how they interact with the materials, and how they interact with the world (Terada, 2020). By Substituting tasks, we allow students to take traditional pencil and paper work and do it on their devices. By Augmenting tasks, we enhance the work students do through the assistance of technology. By Modifying tasks, we can use technology in different ways that open up new possibilities for students to demonstrate their knowledge and understandings. Finally, by Redefining tasks, students can participate in tasks that were previously not possible, including interacting with other people and places around the world. As a result, students can learn to use technology as a resource that best meets and expands their learning needs.

Technology and Digital Citizenship

jrdelacruzsantana — 2024-05-19 21:05:25 UTC

Digital citizenship means that users engage technology with morality, ethicality, and responsibility. As educators, it is our responsibility to not only practice digital citizenship, but to also teach students about it. Anything we put on the internet will stay there forever (digital footprint), which means that we need to be cautious of what we post online. We must not be scared of using social media: so long as we use social media and technology safely and responsibly then we can continue having our online presence. This is true for students as well. It is up to educators (in collaboration with parents/family members) to educate students on how to use technology in a safe and responsible way, thus achieving digital citizenship.