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Philosophy of Teaching

When my students think back on their time in my class, I want them to remember three things.

First, that they are deserving of a safe space, where they are loved and respected as a person. I strive to provide them this space in my classroom. I hope they will always remember that it is important to be their authentic selves, and will seek out spaces for themselves and hold spaces for others where they can live their truth. 

Second, that they are capable and resilient, even when the world tries to tell them otherwise. I hold my students to high standards, while emphasizing that I expect effort, not perfection. I hope they will carry this belief with them, internalizing it into a strong self confidence and the persistence to pursue their goals.

Third, that their voice matters. Through class discussions, written essays, podcasts, morning announcements, yearbooks, and planning Hope Days, my students share their ideas, their experiences, and their perspectives. They are recognized and validated for expressing their views and creativity. I hope they will never forget that their voice is powerful, that it can hold both kindness and strength, and that their stories are worthy of being told.

This is the legacy I want to leave for my students - I want them to know how much they matter and how much they have to offer this world, every single day. 

What is your message to fellow educators?

I will always remember the moment during my first year of teaching middle school that another teacher told me not to bother teaching my 8th grade students how to write an essay. “They aren’t capable of writing whole essays,” this teacher said. “Stick to one or two paragraphs.”

I teach at a school where over 60% of our students are economically disadvantaged. About 45% are multilingual learners. Just over 22% are proficient in reading. The opinion that much of our student body is not capable of achieving at high levels is not uncommon among teachers or among students themselves. I’ve frequently heard that students are “just too far behind” or they are “too apathetic to do anything.” And I find this tragic. When a student tells me “I can’t write an essay” and I respond “Just write a paragraph,” I am telling them they are right to doubt themselves. That I have no faith in their ability to write or in their grit as a learner. When I respond with, “Yes, you can, and we are going to start by using this formula to write a thesis,” I am showing them they are capable, how to break intimidating tasks into manageable steps, and that I will be there to support them as they learn.

The message I want to share today is to believe in your students. Don’t underestimate them. With support and honest encouragement of their abilities, students can be held to high standards and trusted to be leaders in their own learning. If we do not show them that we believe in them, we have no right to expect they will believe in themselves.

Of course the question is how do we do this? How do we encourage and support students and help them achieve at high levels when there are dozens to hundreds of them with different needs and only one of us? There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but this is what I’ve found helps:

One: Be a safe space. For students to even attempt writing an essay, they have to be comfortable in my classroom and with me. They need to know they have permission to fail, and how to ask for help when this happens. They need to feel valued and respected as people, independent of their academic record.

Two: Allow students voice and choice. I encourage my students to ask questions and to voice their opinions. I request feedback on assignments and materials so I learn what students enjoy, what they feel best helps their learning, and what they would change. I give them choices as much as possible, such as the choice between essay topics or the option to write short stories as graphic novels.

Three: Focus on process over product. All of my students know I expect them to and believe in their ability to write an essay. Do they all consequently produce beautifully articulated multi-paragraph essays? No. But they have written a thesis. They have identified evidence to support their points. They have written an introduction and conclusion and outlined body paragraphs. And whatever stage of the essay they have reached, they’ve been praised for their resilience, they have reflected on what they have learned through the process, and they understand how to carry this knowledge forward.

In my journalism class, students produce podcasts. When I tell students a few weeks into the quarter that they are going to make a podcast, I get responses like “no way” and “I didn’t sign up for that.” But they know it’s safe to mess up. They choose their own topics and formats. I praise them on the journey - “those interviews you did yesterday? They were so interesting! I love how you asked those follow-up questions.” And I never show any doubt that they are capable of this task. In response, I receive from these students, who have so often been told about all the barriers that should make a task like podcasting impossible, productions full of insightful interviews and humor and heart and pride in the work they have accomplished.

Students are not barriers for us to overcome - they are people facing challenges that we can help them overcome. To do this, we have to dream for our students. We have to see the potential in them that they and others may struggle to find. When you do this, when you help students believe in themselves, you lay the foundation for them to become leaders of their own learning.