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TRISALAYA WYRICK
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TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

She sat on the bright red carpet reciting her multiplication tables over and over again to
herself. She counted her fingers and then she counted the blocks; something was not adding
up. The frustration was clear on her face because she couldnt seem to get the right answer.
Her teacher came over, sat with her, and then she pointed out a new way to look at the
problem. The little girl recounted her fingers and then the blocks. They equaled the same
amount this time. The little girls face lit up and the teacher noticed how much taller the little girl
stood that day. The little girl learned that there is more than one way to look at a problem. She
learned to never give up. That little girl grew up to be a teacher.
Teaching should challenge students. Challenging people to think in a new direction or
outside the box has become embedded in who I am. The challenges of teaching change
everyday depending on the students moods, the weather, and the many different learning
styles in a classroom. Teachers constantly have to think in new directions to see a problem
differently or think outside the box and try something new in order to connect with their students.
These challenges should be met head on and be faced with a kind and caring demeanor. Every
students mood and learning styles are different, and teachers need to know how to adapt to
each student. Students should be challenged academically at their own personal level and they
should be taught how to think and work through problems themselves. These two things help
grow not only better students but better people. By differentiating my lessons I am able to
support students at different levels. Through homework, projects, and group activities I strive to
support each students needs and development but still maintain a high academic standard for
everyone.
Teaching should be hands on and authentic. While I am certified to teach all subjects at the
elementary level my true passion lies within the science disciplines. Learning through hands on
experimentation and observation are the building blocks of education. As young children we
learn about the world around us through our fives senses. This is something I have learned
throughout my internship at Burton Elementary in Grand Rapids, MI. Working in a 5th grade
classroom has its many challenges; however working with a 97% ELL population creates many
more different challenges. Language alone is not something you can rely on with ELL students.
They have to see, hear, and touch what you are trying to teach them. Using hands on teaching
methods, along with connecting to their prior knowledge, and to their culture, enhances students
understanding of the new concepts being presented to them.
Teaching should be creative. While spending time in South Africa last summer for the Cross
Cultural Teaching Study Abroad program I also saw the effectiveness of bringing creativity into
the classroom. During my time spent there in a 4th grade class I introduced the concept of
creative writing. By using music to inspire my students to write, they were able to produce a
creative writing essay all their own. They wrote with more stamina and enthusiasm than their
teacher had ever seen before. After the students finished their essays I also had them draw an
illustration to go with it. I then put each students accomplished work into a classroom book so
that each students work could be shared with other peers and teachers. By giving the students
the freedom to write about anything they wanted, opened a door to motivation and enjoyment in
writing.

While I never thought that my teacher in second grade would have such an influence on
who I am today I'm thankful for the lesson she taught me at such a young age. By learning how
to look at problems from a different point of view, this has taught me to be a better educator.
While I strive to immerse my students in a world education I also try to remember the frustration
of the little girl who just needed to see things from a different, hands, on creative perspective.