Ms. Ashlyn!

Teaching
Philosophy

STEM teachers hold the power to not only help their students build knowledge and understand the world around them, but they also can serve as a resource and example of what students can and are capable of achieving for themselves and their communities. I believe this is what teaching is about. My goals for my classroom are community, access, empathy, and understanding because these important influences can affect a student's thinking and perception of themselves as a learner. As a teacher, I will use collaborative, discussion-based lessons in order to achieve these goals.The socio-political theory of learning is something I would like to incorporate into my teaching. It claims that there is an unequal distribution of power throughout society that influences a person's access to resources and opportunities, achievement in schools and careers, identity within communities based on culture and language, and power given and taken. I can incorporate this theory into my teaching by emphasizing the importance of equity. This can be achieved by listening to student voices, acknowledging issues, increasing representation, offering opportunities and additional aid when needed, and advocating for inclusivity for all of my students. I will also view and share critical and culturally relevant knowledge by drawing connections between students' everyday lives, their culture, and their language.I have found that for both myself as a learner and the students I have taught, discussion and group-based learning leads to active and explorative learners. Cooperative learning is a theory influenced by Vygosky focused on knowledge building where the interests of an individual are influenced by the culture they grew up in, and this influences their development inthe world around them, social and individual behaviors, and the language they use to communicate. I can incorporate this type of learning into my lessons by creating structured groups where students perform a task that is explicitly stated and requires collaboration. Each student knows their specific role they have in order to complete the task effectively, and this encourages interpersonal and small group skills that help each student feel productive and valued as a group member. One benefit of cooperative learning is that students in structured groups showed less noncooperative behaviors, more cohesiveness and willingness to promote their peers' learning. Structured groups also promote knowledge building and discourse in order to share and improve ideas. These social and collaborative skills are important because they can help prepare students for future STEM careers and research.While teaching and observing my student’s knowledge building, it will be important to be responsive. Responsive teaching involves observing students and their common sense about how the world works in order to help them develop their reasoning in science. Due to the different backgrounds and exposures students get outside of the classroom, there may be a wide variety of experiences that might lead them to inconsistent or incorrect schemas. As a responsive teacher, it will be important for me to recognize these inconsistencies while also encouraging students to use their individual resources creatively. This can be done with formative assessments where knowledge is not solely about correction, but instead about the connection of these resources.By incorporating the socio-political theory of learning, the cooperative learning theory, and responsive teaching, I will be able to create an environment in the classroom where students feel comfortable, safe, and heard in order to share their ideas, opinions, and build knowledge. I believe that these theories and practices of teaching will best help me achieve my classroom goals.