I am a passionate, caring individual with high hopes and high expectations. I believe in my students; magnificent things can happen to those touched by the heart. Those inspired can achieve anything they want and learn something from any situation. What is written ahead is my philosophy, that of the caring spirit of a man once content with life as a custodian cleaning floors, then met with the kindness and honesty of a student, which helped spark the idea of imagination that I could become something MORE!  Working with the students helped me realize I could achieve more. I can do something: have a more intricate role in education. I want to support my students because they helped shape my life, and I want to inspire them to achieve tremendous success by striving to make significant progress toward their goals. Teaching is my passion: to inspire, motivate and help students discover their potential. I embrace the H.U.M.A.M. developer concept as my adaptation of dispositions:  Holistic procedures to student learning, Understanding diversity, Managing learning communities, Assessing students learning based on national and state standards, and New approaches through technology for student learning.

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H - Holistic learning

As I reflect on my role as an educator, I will compare my educational values to the standards we teach to hold myself accountable for my student's education. I will consider the learners, how they must learn, the environment, and the factors influencing learning to get a holistic view of how I can be an effective educator. With the influences that factor into learning, I can relate to Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development stages, which I have personally seen in my experiences, especially STAGE 3 and 4 in elementary school. "Initiative vs. Guilt" stage 3, as Pre-K and Kindergarten Students learn independence and that factors learning as you create an environment of play and discovery and a welcoming place for invitation to relate home life to school. Stage 4 with the later elementary students as they spark creativity and wish to be productive; in my experience, students love to show you their artwork and give you plenty of drawings, and if you can incorporate their love and interests, then you have created a holistic learning experience the students will have memories that will last!

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U – Understanding diversity

During my studies at West Virginia State University, I had the privilege to teach multiple scenarios throughout Kanawha County; each can claim differences between the schools, including the area, being an urban school, suburban, or rural. Each school has its diverse population and unique sets of challenges for learning to occur within the atmosphere of the classroom environment. As an educator, I have borne witness to "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs" unfolding before my eyes as I reflect upon what I experienced and how the students respond to the environment they are placed in when they have needs that are not met. "The human body cannot function optimally if physiological needs are not satisfied" (Maslow, 1943, 1962, 1987). I plan to use this knowledge to create a space where students can obtain adequate needs, fulfillment, and safety, as our learning environment is centered on meeting state standards and ensuring that the students are ready to learn those standards. John Dewey believed in Progressive Education and that "education should be child-centered, focusing on the interests and experiences of the students rather than a fixed curriculum."​

 

M - Manages learning environments

I genuinely believe in Carol Dweck's Growth Mindset, and we will achieve our goals with hard work and dedication! I may not be ready today, and failure is just another new path to reaching our goal because the outcomes matter most. Always try hard and put effort into your work. These are the values that I hold dear to me. I do not want to see a student give up or admit defeat because this can hinder their learning capabilities as they grow; this is a fixed mindset. I want to encourage success while welcoming progress and accepting challenges, which is the Growth Mindset. I see little problem solvers and critical thinkers in my students as we solve problems together. We learn from our mistakes, best spoken by Nelson Mandela, "I never lose. I either win, or I learn." "There is no failure in my class, but there is always room to grow" - Darren R. Goodwin.​

 

A - Assesses student learning based on national and state standards

I follow state and common core standards for my lessons, which I plan for my students. These standards come published by the West Virginia Department of Education, and I assess my lessons accordingly to meet these standards, from diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments. I believe in Lev Vygotsky's Theory of Cognitive Development, "cognitive development is a socially mediated process in which children acquire cultural values, beliefs, and problem-solving strategies through collaborative dialogues with more knowledgeable members of society." Throughout my placements at my time at West Virginia State University, I have accumulated many different artifacts of evidence showing my dedication to my ability to assess students' progress and adjust lessons to the needs of the students while utilizing a plan for structure in small groups to increase learning of skill sets for particular lessons I have taught, using (R.T.I.) "Response to Intervention Tier Two applications to target high efficiency and rapid responses for my students." These strategies include hands-on work with manipulatives, more intense time, and focus on connections to real-world applications and experiences with students' skill sets. John Dewey promoted "learning by doing," "suggesting that students learn best through hands-on activities that have real-world relevance." I will constantly assess students' abilities with math and reading for grouping, using grades, student worksheets, writing, practice work shown in portfolios, and test scores, which I used to help obtain data to show growth and support for evidence for comprehension from the teaching that I have provided. I will continue to MODEL examples and use SCAFFOLDING as I employ EXPLICIT Instruction to ensure that success-oriented critical learning components can occur in my classroom.

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N - Newer approaches to student learning through technology.

"I can have all the knowledge in the world; however, if I cannot effectively communicate that information to my students and they need help understanding me, have I achieved my goals and duties as a teacher?"

I am responsible for preparing myself to learn new approaches and finding the best ways for my students to learn! I can become a more effective educator by constantly improving myself to stay relevant. I do not want to be remembered as someone who taught educational materials. I want to be known as that inspirational, fun teacher who brought excitement into the classroom! This does mean just teaching the textbook, but what does this mean? Looking at the lesson plans I created, which I derived from the textbook and then put into a teaching strategy using technology with my Canva skills to enhance how I can present the information, has elevated the impact of that textbook, increasing learning and engagement. This is my belief and my dedication to being the effective teacher I can be.​

 

Teaching is important to me because I care.