Miss Bergenhagen's Philosophy of Education Teaching & Learning Philosophy I believe that all students are capable of learning and experiencing success. Not everyone learns the same way, and attention must be given to the different ways that students learn. By focusing on all the different learning styles we are able to maximize the success students can achieve. I believe that students need to be given material at their own level that challenges them. Each child is an individual and should be treated as such. Each child brings with them their own experiences and culture. We should embrace all the cultures and help encourage this diversity in the classroom. Helping students embrace their uniqueness. I believe that the classroom should be a place of safety, encouragement, support, and understanding. Students need to feel safe and comfortable in their environment in order to be able to maximize learning. Students also need to be supported and understood in the classroom. A positive and encouraging attitude can go a long way in building a student’s confidence in their own abilities. When we help students believe in themselves and their abilities, we are helping students become lifelong learners. I believe that learning should be fun and interactive. Learning should promote curiosity and lifelong learning. Learning takes place when students are allowed to learn through manipulating materials, peer teaching and exploration. I believe that learning can take place in a variety of different settings. Incorporating a multitude of opportunities for students to learn from is an important aspect of being an effective teacher. I believe that learning involves the cooperation of the student, family, teacher and community. Parents and teachers need to work together to meet each student’s individual needs and successes. This partnership should be focused on the positives in the classroom as well as concerns. Classroom Management Philosophy I believe that discipline problems can be limited by setting high and appropriate expectations of students. Students will rise to the level that is expected of them. Students also need a clear understanding of these expectations in order to meet these expectations. The expectations must also remain consistent at all times. Our classroom discipline plan is set up with three parts (rules, consequences, and rewards). I believe it is important for students to know what is expected of them and have to accept the consequences when they choose to break the rule. I also believe that students should be rewarded/reinforced for making positive decisions. It is important for students to know when they are meeting the expectations set for them. As a class at the beginning of the year we develop the rules for the classroom. These are then posted on the wall as a reminder of the rules the class has chosen to follow. Also, located on each desk students have 5 Velcro stars (green, blue, yellow, orange and red). If a student decides not to follow one of the rules, the student will lose a star. That star will be placed on the Velcro strip on the board. If the class gets less than 5 stars they earn a big star towards a class party (25 big stars). This is reinforcement for positive peer interaction and encouragement. I believe that students should have appropriate consequences. A warning and loss of green star is the first consequence. Students who continue to make poor choices will in turn lose their blue star and will need to fill out a “How can I be better” form. This gives students a chance to think about their behavior and ways of making better choices. I believe it is important for students to understand how their actions affect others and learn responsibility for making good choices. The third consequence is loss of yellow star and a one on one conference with me during free time. This gives me a chance to understand what is going on with the student. I believe that students have a lot going on in their lives and they are not always able to display their feelings appropriately. By having a conference with me, we can discuss what is going on and ways of dealing with things appropriately using good choices. The fourth consequence is a loss of an orange star and a call home. I believe it is important for parents to beware of their student’s behavior. I also believe that the student should take responsibility for their actions and therefore should have an opportunity to explain the situation to their parents over the phone. If the student continues to make poor choices, the student will lose the red star and a conference with the student, parents, and teacher will be set up to discuss behavior. Any behavior that is harmful to themselves or others in any way however can skip over all the steps and require the child to be removed from the classroom immediately. I also believe that students should receive rewards/reinforcement in my classroom. The first major reward is the option to get a big star at the end of each day to work towards a class party. On a smaller scale students are able to receive individual rewards. Students have a behavior chart on their desk. At the end of each day if the student has lost less than 3 stars they will get a sticker for their chart. When their chart is full they are able to choose a prize from the treasure chest. I also use verbal praise, coupons, and stickers as a form of rewarding my students. I believe that giving attention to those students who are meeting the expectations I am building their self-esteem, as well as positively reinforcing my expectations of them. My philosophy has developed through my upbringing, education and experiences. By holding strong to these values I hope to instill a love of learning into each of my students. As I grow and develop as a teacher through education and experience I expect my strategies and philosophy to shift to follow best for each student. However, I expect the core values to always remain, for those are my solid foundation in which I build upon. Credits This website is designed and maintained by Melanie Bergenhagen. Graphics are copyrighted by the artists. Graphic sources can be found by clicking Thank You on the left. JavaScript courtesy of Dynamic Drive. Counter courtesy of Sitemeter Site last updated on