Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

Buffy Hamilton

It is my sincere belief that all students can learn; however, I value and celebrate that we do not all learn the same way or at the same rate.  Consequently, I try to create a learning environment in which students are offered a menu of choices and ways to demonstrate what they know and what they can do while nudging them to grow as readers and writers.  I want my classroom to be a place of inquiry and investigation of our beliefs, responses, and stances on the texts we read and the transactions we have in our classroom.  My overarching goals are:

 

1.  Help students see themselves as readers and writers and to live a literate life in which reading and writing matter for both informational purposes and for pleasure.

2.  Help students become educated consumers of information and know how to evaluate the burgeoning array of resources available to our society.

3.  Help students see value in their lives and to explore the possibilities for what their lives can be.

4.  Celebrate our likenesses and differences and to value the role that students' unofficial worlds and language play in the "official" world of school.


I feel these goals can best be achieved in a learning environment that emphasizes building " a community of learners."  According to K.G. Short, a community of learners is formed as learners:

  • come to know each other

  • value what each has to offer

  • focus on problem solving and inquiry

  • share responsibility and control

  • learn through action, reflection, and demonstration

  • establish a learning atmosphere that is predictable and yet full of real choices

I feel that these goals are best accomplished in a classroom that offers students time, ownership, and response for reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  I hope to create a classroom that will build on students' strengths, celebrate and utilize their expertise, and help students grow in areas they have not explored or may feel challenged.  This classroom calls for a balance of student centered activities and direct instruction to facilitate students' knowledge and critical thinking.  In addition, I must be an active participant as a learner in our classroom and model what I hope to teach my students and recognize that I have much to learn from them.

 

Links that Reflect My Core Beliefs About Teaching and Learning