1. My Teaching Philosophy Elicia Eberhart

2. Quote “The love of nurturing and observing growth in others is essential to sustaining a life of teaching. This implies that no matter what you teach or how you present yourself to your students, you have to be on the learner’s side and to believe that they can and will grow during the time that you are together.” “The love of nurturing and observing growth in others is essential to sustaining a life of teaching. This implies that no matter what you teach or how you present yourself to your students, you have to be on the learner’s side and to believe that they can and will grow during the time that you are together.” -Herbert Kohl (emphasis added)

3. Applying the Quote A teacher needs to exhibit a passion for fostering student learning growth A teacher needs to exhibit a passion for fostering student learning growth Each student’s best interest should be at the forefront of any teacher’s curriculum Each student’s best interest should be at the forefront of any teacher’s curriculum

4. My Teaching Approach Comprised of a balance of language-as- expression philosophy, which places students’ interests, needs and strengths first Comprised of a balance of language-as- expression philosophy, which places students’ interests, needs and strengths first Allows students the flexibility to exert some control over course content, thus enabling students with the ability to monitor their own learning Allows students the flexibility to exert some control over course content, thus enabling students with the ability to monitor their own learning

5. My Specific Goals for the Classroom Help students… Help students… 1. obtain and communicate information 2. develop literary response and expression 3. facilitate learning and reflection 4. aid with problem solving and application 5. assist students in utilizing language skills, i.e. reading and writing clearly, critically, creatively as well as strategically

6. Course Objectives Will comply with current national, state and local academic standards for Language Arts/English education Will comply with current national, state and local academic standards for Language Arts/English education Will concentrate on the quality, not quantity, of learning Will concentrate on the quality, not quantity, of learning

7. Teaching Strategies Varied between teacher-centered and student- centered approaches to encompass and “tap into” each student’s individual way of learning, as well as their multiple intelligences Varied between teacher-centered and student- centered approaches to encompass and “tap into” each student’s individual way of learning, as well as their multiple intelligences An eclectic pedagogical model, i.e. selecting the best approaches from various teaching models for the lesson or activity at hand An eclectic pedagogical model, i.e. selecting the best approaches from various teaching models for the lesson or activity at hand

8. Student Learning Experiences small-groups small-groups cooperative learning groups cooperative learning groups think-pair-share think-pair-share teacher talk teacher talk student reports student reports learning centers learning centers demonstrations demonstrations mini-lessons mini-lessons field trips field trips educational media educational media teacher questioning teacher questioning whole-class discussions whole-class discussions discovery learning discovery learning project-centered learning project-centered learning educational games educational games at-home activities at-home activities

9. Why I Want to Teach To foster and witness the world’s youth embrace learning To foster and witness the world’s youth embrace learning To help students recognize and support societal, socioeconomic, cultural and lifestyle differences in conjunction with discovering the value of respect and tolerance To help students recognize and support societal, socioeconomic, cultural and lifestyle differences in conjunction with discovering the value of respect and tolerance To teach students the power of ambition and help them realize that they can make their dreams come true To teach students the power of ambition and help them realize that they can make their dreams come true To teach adolescents that success is ideal, but failures are advantageous too—they build character and breed integrity To teach adolescents that success is ideal, but failures are advantageous too—they build character and breed integrity

10. …And Most of All I want to teach because I wholeheartedly believe that cultivating and monitoring each student’s individual educational and personal growth will ensure that every student “can and will grow” during the time we are together I want to teach because I wholeheartedly believe that cultivating and monitoring each student’s individual educational and personal growth will ensure that every student “can and will grow” during the time we are together