I have been writing a blog called Today's Baby for the past five years. My children are my joy. I love parenting with my partner in crime, Phil. We are truly a team in every sense of the word. But...before I became a parent, I was practicing, big time, because I am a teacher!
I
have been teaching for over ten years. My teaching career started in
South Los Angeles in an inner-city school. I worked there for six years
before moving to a high performing charter school in a rural area.
Now I have moved back to the public school scene. I have taught on
both ends of the spectrum. The bottom line is that
teaching is my passion and I have some unique views about education. I
believe that it is up to us as teachers to be instrumental in changing
the face of education in America.
First
of all, let me tell you about my educational journey. I actually was diagnosed
with a learning disability in the 2nd grade and was placed in an RSP
class. I remained in special education until I tested out in the 6th
grade. As a result of my perceived learning disabilities, I was looked down upon by both students and teachers. I hated school growing up, and never thought I would go into
education. As I grew older, despite my struggles as an elementary
school student, I was drawn to education, and thought maybe I could be
an instrument of change. I determined that I would help to fix the problems that I experienced so that tomorrow's students would have access to a better educational experience. So, I eventually decided to go for it. The best
way to fix things is to be a part of changing things. I
overcame my initial fears and have been teaching ever since.
Besides being a wife and mommy, teaching is my life. It is a part of who I am. It is a science that you not only have to be passionate about, but you have to constantly refine your practice and refresh your outlook. This is not really an easy thing to do. You have to be highly aware of your own growth or you will become stagnant.
My basic teaching philosophy is built upon a few key platforms. First, I have a heart for closing the gender achievement gap. Male children, especially those who live in poverty, are at risk of failing in their education. They continually score lower and lower in all subject-areas every year on state and standardized tests. The American school system has NEVER been male-friendly. I want to be a part of changing that. You will see that many of the lessons I put in my store have tips and strategies for dealing with challenging male students (see link below). I know this is a struggle many of you have faced, but I promise this stuff really works.
My
second platform is similar to my first. I believe in fun, engaging,
and interactive classrooms. I am not saying there is never a time for
paper pencil tasks or worksheets, but you will notice my lesson plans
are fun, rigorous, and interactive without many worksheets or
paper-pencil tasks. They will include everything you need to take your
classroom teaching to the next level. They are also aligned to the new
Common Core Standards and they really do push the limits on getting your
students to higher levels of thinking and making those real-life
connections.
Finally, I believe that every student has infinite potential. Rather than looking at low performing students as a burden, I like to think of them as the students with the greatest opportunity to grow. I wish my teachers had thought this way when I was in school, but it's not too late for us, the teachers of tomorrow, to make a change for our students today.
Finally, I believe that every student has infinite potential. Rather than looking at low performing students as a burden, I like to think of them as the students with the greatest opportunity to grow. I wish my teachers had thought this way when I was in school, but it's not too late for us, the teachers of tomorrow, to make a change for our students today.
I believe in the power of education and I believe it can make or break a student. I truly feel my passion is fueled by gifts in this arena. I love teaching and I know I am on to something different. I believe in ingenuity in education. I believe in lesson plans that break the mold and go beyond the brick and mortar of the classroom. And most importantly, I believe that every child I have in my care has infinite potential. Please check back for thoughts on education and teaching. I know that the best kind of reflection and learning happens if we as educators collaborate and learn from each other. Let's do this. We will not be teachers of the past, we come together to truly be teachers of tomorrow. Yeah!
Please check out my "Tomorrow’s Teacher" store on Teacher's Pay Teachers (see link below) for free and paid lesson plans that will help you get started on your road to being tomorrow's teacher. I will continue to upload and provide awesome lessons that will help to make your classroom better.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Tomorrows-Teacher
