Mrs. Stone's Class

Educational Philosophy

    In today’s complex and ever changing society, an educator’s role has become as multifaceted and diverse as the students in our schools.  A teacher  must not only have strong knowledge of curriculum content and new technological innovations, but a firm understanding of students’ various learning styles, academic and cultural needs. An educator must demonstrate the ability to facilitate and motivate students to become independent thinkers and problem solvers as they strive to scaffold and master the skills and concepts they are presented. Student growth and achievement must be determined through careful analysis of student assessment data. A teacher must facilitate student learning at their individual instructional level and assist students in creating their own personal academic, social and behavioral goals. 

I believe that a nurturing and rigorous learning atmosphere encourages and promotes a child’s curiosity, natural talents and abilities, personal responsibility and individuality.  

 Student Achievement: Providing individualized instruction that encourages students to take ownership of their own learning is critical for helping our students prepare for success later in life.  Students need to feel engaged in their learning process through active participation in real life learning experiences.   Curriculum material must be differentiated by academic ability and learning style to ensure each child is making individual progress at their highest level. 

Assessment: Instruction at a child’s individual academic level can only occur through the analysis of student data.  A wide variety of regularly used assessment practices would be most beneficial in determining student growth and achievement.  Pre-testing content allows for individualized instruction and post-testing provides critical information on student achievement. Teacher assessments such as direct observations, standardized texts, portfolio assessments as well as student self-evaluations are equally as important in gaining an overall picture of each child’s achievement.

Grouping: Cooperative learning is an extremely beneficial means of social and academic development.  Through peer interaction, children learn from others the knowledge, skills and strengths that each child possesses, as well as valuable social skills needed to be competitive in today’s global economy.  Flexible grouping, when based on assessed knowledge of content, allows students to learn on an individualized learning path. 

Classroom Community: A successful educator must provide a safe and rich environment that encourages students to take risks and to meet their full potential. In order for children to become active learners, there must first be an atmosphere in which they can trust and be trusted.  The classroom environment must be set up in such a way that all members of the community see and present themselves as learners working toward the common goal of acquiring knowledge.  Responsive Classroom teaches children to take responsibility for their actions and establishes clear, logical consequences.

 Respect, Diversity and Multicultural Education: A classroom based on a firm respect and understanding of different cultures, countries, social classes, and individuality will foster development and personal growth of children.  Integrating the curriculum around multicultural concepts and an appreciation of human differences will foster an atmosphere of respect and validate and promote the students expression of individuality.

Inclusion: Inclusion should be decided on an individual basis by a team of experts and classroom teachers.  Mainstreaming can be beneficial both socially and academically to a child with special needs as well as for the other children in the classroom.  However, mainstreaming does not benefit every child’s individual needs and should therefore be used with careful consideration.

 Balanced Literacy: Establishing a balanced literacy program will assist students in becoming adept at comprehending, thinking critically about, and writing in a wide variety of text genres.  Reader’s and Writer’s workshop and Guided Reading techniques teach students to use mentor texts and authentic literature to practice their craft as readers and writers.  Writing and reading across the curriculum, including journal writing, scientific and mathematical journals, poetry and fiction, to name a few, will give students experience using, analyzing and crafting a variety of texts.

 Parent Communication:  Throughout these and all educational experiences, parent communication is critical at helping children achieve their academic goals and apply their learning outside of the classroom.  When parents are invited into and involved in their child’s education, children learn to value learning as a top priority in their lives.  A parent’s cooperation in supporting their child’s academic career has enormous implications on how successful a child will be at school.  The parent/teacher partnership should begin before the school year starts and continue throughout.

To be competitive in today’s complex global environment, an educator’s priority is to coach and support students to reach their full potential, to question ideas, access information, and interpret data in a safe, cooperative environment which develops and promotes skill acquisition, personal growth and academic achievement.