If you have ready any of the information about me, you have learned that teaching is in my DNA. And I say this with a bit of seriousness. Many previous generations of family members that came before me are teachers and growing up with role models who go out in the world every day and makes a difference is motivating. I now strive to continue the legacy that they have started and I have followed in their footsteps to make a difference every day. Each day I enter my classroom I have the opportunity to make, at the very least, a small difference.

To very briefly summarize, my philosophy towards teaching has always been: students first. How I teach and what I teach are always driven by what the students need. This changes with each grade level. Teaching middle school students requires me to value them as individuals and make connections beyond the content. This is what drives my approach when teaching middle school students. I have found that making personal connections leads to better success in my classroom and my students are more motivated to learn. These personal connections are built on trust and mutual trust. If I want the students to feel comfortable sharing with me, I have to share with them. Within reason, I try to be as open and honest as possible with my thoughts, my ideas, my life, and my experiences. By modeling this, the students are more likely to reciprocate the effort. Bringing this element into the classroom makes it a safer place for students to be who they truly are. And in middle school, that is often a struggle. Students need to see that strong example set for them. The ideas presented by the authors of Love and Logic have driven this aspect of my classroom management. I create a classroom that is ultimately a positive and safe place for students to take chances and grow as individuals.

Teaching science allows me to create many high interest and and hands on learning opportunities for my students. These activities foster curiosity and inquiry. A good scientist is always asking questions and wondering about the phenomena that was just experienced. Inquiry is alive and well in my classroom. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) encourage students to utilize their inquiries to make discoveries on their own.  This requires them to be risk takers and put their thoughts and ideas out there. Because I devote time to creating a trusting environment my students are willing to take a chance and share their ideas.

As we adopt the NGSS and design lessons around this new approach I am allowing the students to take control of their learning. It is important to me that I design lessons that meet the NGSS standards and facilitate the students’ ability to discover new content and model or represent the new knowledge.

As NGSS continues to make its way into my classroom, I am seeing a change in how I assess what my students know. Many of the past standard assessments just don’t do the learning justice. I am now creating assessments that challenge my students to take what they know and apply it. The ability to use the knowledge in some way is the ultimate test. This demonstrates understanding. Simply knowing something is not enough, I want them to take it to the next level.