BRITTANY

BERMANS TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

that teachers should provide a safe and nurturing learning environment.

The learning process depends on student involvement, engagement, and participation. As
educators, we cannot control the incidents that occur outside of our schools, but we have the
power and responsibility to control what happens within our classrooms. Therefore, it is our
duty as teachers to create an environment in which students feel safe to express their opinions,
take risks, and embrace setbacks not as failures, but as challenges to overcome. Teachers
should be sensitive to outside influences on childrens mental, physical, and emotional health,
and provide an environment in which to thrive.

Ive learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never
forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou

that teachers should build upon students prior knowledge.

Some of the primary sources of student distraction are frustration and monotony. For this
reason, I believe it is the teachers obligation to construct lessons to connect to each student in
a meaningful way. Conveying subject matter in relatable terms allows students to implement
new knowledge into their daily routines, as well as to promote intellectual and personal
growth. By allotting students a basis for new subject matter, teachers are exposing connections
to real world situations and in turn, creating excitement around new knowledge.

Tell me, Ill forget. Show me, Ill remember. Involve me, Ill understand. Chinese Proverb

that teachers should encourage both individual and social exploration.

Every student that walks into our classrooms has a different set of skills, fears, and preferences.
In order to successfully engage our students within the context of learning, it is important to
encourage learners to work independently forming personal connections with content as
well as in groups gaining insight from differing viewpoints to best educate and expand the
minds of each student. Although some students will prefer one method to the other, it is
important to challenge our students comfort zones to best prepare them to be active and
effective members of society.

No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship. James Comer


that teachers should individualize instruction to each students strengths and needs.

As a teacher, I trust it is up to me to assess my class and tailor my lessons to the individual
needs of the students that sit before me. Pre-assessment helps to determine the starting point
of instruction throughout multiple subjects, and reaffirms the notion that no two classes are
ever the same. Students enter each year with differing levels of understanding and
commitment to learning, and teachers should tailor their classes according to these levels.
Additionally, flexibility becomes a primary teacher trait due to the nature of the possibility of
needing to reteach content until the class masters the topic.

Fair doesnt mean giving every student the same thing. It means giving every child what they need.
unknown

there is no wrong answer.

It is crucial that teachers maintain an open-mind in assessing students intellect. I believe that
students have a great deal to contribute to the learning process and opinions and ideas should
be welcomed, considered, and discussed before labeling them as wrong. Not only does this
tactic promote active learning, but it also provides me with an insight into every students
thought process. By encouraging experimental responses, I am able to assess my students
abilities and understanding, and reflect upon my effectiveness in the classroom.

Children must be taught how to think, not what to think. Margaret Mead

that I, myself am a student too.

Passion for education should outweigh all other motives for teaching. I trust there will always
be something I do not know and something I can benefit from exploring further. The title of
teacher does not suggest a culmination of learning. Rather, it represents a professional
student: someone who can reflect and improve in multiple areas, and someone who actively
seeks improvement.

Teachers who love teaching teach children to love learning. Robert John Meehan