Throughout the past year, I have continued to develop my educational philosophy.  I believe teachers must be aware of and have a plan of action for the many areas of teaching.  These areas include communication and collaboration with parents, giving respect to the students and gaining respect from the students, organization, and knowledge of the material to be taught. 

     I believe that communication plays a huge role in the learning and teaching process.  Parents need to know what is going on in their child’s classroom.  Once students are at the intermediate level, I find it is important to send notes to the parents, via the students, making the students accountable for getting the notes home.  This results in less stress for the teacher when report card time comes.  From attending parent/teacher conferences, I heard some parents question why their student received a certain grade.  By keeping copies of all communication, the responsibility for the grades can be directed back to the students.

     As a teacher, I also have the responsibility to teach students respect through giving and receiving the respect.  Growing up in a very authoritarian home environment, I have exchanged respect with my parents and sister.  I always knew the limitations and expectations, and I try to make my classroom very similar to my childhood home environment.  I want my students to know where I stand and what I expect of them.  I believe that having clear expectations leads to an organized and well-run classroom.

     As a student teacher and growing professional, I have acquired professional opinions on the many aspects of teaching.  Most of my ideas have stemmed from Charlotte Danielson’s framework of professional practice.  Her four stages of professional practice include planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities.  Using her framework, I plan what I am going to do with my students each day to have an easy flowing classroom atmosphere.

     Teachers should be very familiar with the material they are teaching so they can easily answer students' questions without doing too much research.  Teachers can also bring their own experiences into the classroom to help the students connect their learning to their own lives.  Most importantly, teachers need to have fun with the things that the students need to know.

    Overall, my philosophy is still in the developmental stages.  I will continue to add to it and change it as my teaching career begins.  However, the main areas of teaching will remain the same.  I will continue to communicate with parents, give respect to and gain respect from my students, stay organized, and familiarize myself with the material I am teaching.