B.A. in Elementary
Education
Maharishi University of Management
Personal
Summary
Welcome to my Teacher Education Portfolio! This site has been designed to give the viewer a background of my teaching experience and a summary of my education to date. I see graduating from a teacher education program as the beginning of becoming a teacher and a lifelong learner. My Portfolio has a theme that runs throughout it and that theme is:
"The Nature of Life is to Grow"
This theme is taken from the timeless teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi University of Management. Teaching at all levels, particularly at the elementary level, is about growth. In my Teaching Portfolio you can see how I have grown during my education degree, what my present views are in the field of educational theory, and what my future goals are in the area of professional development. By clicking on the links to the left of the page you can see my qualifications and aspirations in the wink of an eye!
In
my Approach to
Education I
express my theory of education based upon three teaching
principles of Maharishi's that have been a great guide to me
throughout my student teaching. These three principles are:
"Receptivity is Foundational to Learning", "Always Teach the
Parts with Reference to the Whole, the Self" and "Enjoy and
Accomplish More".
In my Classroom Management Plan I explain my current views and plans for creating a community of learners with the goal of attaining the maximum individual and collective knowledge possible everyday. In the link entitled Curriculum Samples you can see three sample lesson plans of mine, a month-long unit plan that I created, as well as a video of my student-teaching. Under the title of Resume you can view the history of my educational development as well as three letters of recommendation. The final link beneath my resume contains all of the information you need in order to Contact Me.
Why I Would Like To Teach
Teaching
is one of the most important professions for creating a
better world. Students need positive role models who are
energetic, engaging, role models who open up students'
natural, intrinsic desires to learn and grow every day. I
first experienced teaching when I was a canoeing instructor
at a camp in northern Ontario and it was then that I knew I
would become a teacher. The camp director at the time was a
great inspiration to me the way he captivated a hundred
young minds around the campfire each night. Could a
classroom have that same enchantment on young minds? I think
it can if the students and teacher are learning in an
active, hands-on approach. I studied guitar for several
years and noticed that when I began to teach I learned much
more about the instrument myself. The process of helping
others to learn is a powerful experience because the great
teacher is always learning alongside the student. Imagine
the lives that a single teacher touches in a day, a year, a
decade or in a lifetime!
The classroom is a microcosm for society, and the more a teacher promotes knowledge and actively engages students the better society will become. The future of tomorrow lies in the hands of today's students and teachers. I would like to teach because I feel that it is a natural profession for me and I love kids. I could work in an office full of adults where everyone is complaining about the cold weather or a classroom full of students where we are marvelling at the first snowfall. That is a bit of a generalization no doubt but the point is that at the elementary level students are natural meaning-makers and their nature is to grow. I want to spend my life helping students reach their full creative potential and their dreams.
My Strengths and Achievements:
I feel that my greatest strengths in teaching so far are my creativity in curricular development and my strong musical background. I enjoy using my guitar and writing songs with my students in the classroom whenever I can. I am interested in bringing out the creativity of my students and one of the ways I enjoy doing this is through teaching using an interdisciplinary approach that appeals to the different learning styles and intelligences proposed by Howard Gardner. I think that one of the greatest benefits of the self-contained elementary classroom is the potential for bridging the diversity of subjects, and connecting all that is learned to the wholeness of the students' lives. I believe that teaching is about supporting growth in all areas of life. During my student teaching I was able to grow in the areas of designing curricular development and integrating my musical talents in the classroom.
How I Would Like to Grow As A Teacher:
The nature of life is to grow and it is only natural that teachers always be learning and evolving alongside their students. I also plan on being a life-long learner as an educator. At this point in my development as a teacher I would like to expand my repertoire of classroom management techniques. In this area of teaching there is no definitive blueprint! Every class dynamic is different and seasoned teachers always seem to know approaches that every new teacher learns by rote. I would like to work with a mentor and other teachers to evolve in the important area of classroom management. I would also like to upgrade my technology expertise. I am interested in evolving with the rapid advancement of technology because it will give me another window to reach my students, document their work, and celebrate their achievements. In the near future I am planning on seeking endorsements in music, coaching and physical education to make me more qualified and versatile.