Savannah Hoskins Philosophy Statement I believe in getting to know my students as people.

. It is all too easy to simply think of students as children or teens who show up in my classroom for an hour a dayperiod. The problem with this approach to students is that it leaves me with no clue of who they are outside of that hour. Therefore, I have no idea how to educate them the way they need to be educated. Every student is unique and different. Getting to know the person in the desk, not just the student, allows teachers to discover and understand each students personal strengths, needs, and interests. As a teacher, I will enable my students to follow their natural curiosity through the exploration of their interests and passions, thereby creating a learning environment conducive to self-exploration and personal development. I believe in the importance of relating classroom work to the real world through inquiry-based instruction. It is one thing to tell students a classic work is important because it will be on the SAT. Students who relate their success in life to the success of tests such as this will believe you and take notice. Not all of my students, however, will want to go on to college or care about the SAT. Therefore, why would they care about works they feel will not apply to them in future? For instance, how does an outdated work such as Hamlet relate to the culture of their modern world? By showing students how classic works and materials they are studying on a daily basis relate to and influence popular modern culture, teachers can add a new level of importance and relatability to literature that would otherwise be deemed unnecessary or highbrow. I believe in making the most of the state standards. I refer to the state standards for every lesson. I keep them saved on my desktop for all grades that I work with on a daily basis. Sometimes I pick a standard and build a lesson around the standard, sometimes I choose a standard based around the lesson. Many of my units incorporate the same standards throughout the lesson, however I do try to integrate at least one new standard for every other lesson in a unit. This allows me to cover more standards with a unit than simply choosing one. For example, I am really enjoying adding nonfiction texts into literature units. I developed a unit involving the study of the novel Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Each week has a different theme. One of the themes is Bully Week, as the novel deals with high school bullying. The students watched a short documentary about real life bully situations, developed their own questions about the subject, and led their own class discussions. They also read nonfiction articles and memoir snippets about bullying and confrontation. I want my classroom to be built around the students, their interests, and their achievements. Displaying students work, accomplishments, favorite books, and opinions are important to me. I enjoy having a special corner of the room for independent reading, a praises and concerns board, a section to display the star of the week, and a book recommendation board. I want a classroom full of laughter and discussion. The key to making all of this fun work, however, is staying on task and getting work done. It is my belief that the students choose how a

classroom functions. If they work diligently, treat each other with respect, and follow the classroom rules, we have a great time. If they do not, class becomes much more strict. In my class, your actions have consequences. I believe strongly in positive reinforcement. Instead of point out students who are doing things wrong, point out students who are doing things right. For example, when my students come in the room and begin their work, instead of saying, John, you are not doing what you are meant to be doing, I say I would like to thank Madison for being in her seat and working quietly. I would like to thank Alan for working hard. It may sound silly, but little encouragements and thank yous go a long way. Kids want to feel appreciated and know that you see them doing the right things, not just the wrong things. I also believe in warnings. I will warn students that their behavior is noticed and not acceptable. When the behavior continues, that is when disciplinary action must be taken. This gives the student the chance to correct their behavior and create their own result. I consider sending a student to the office as a last resort. I believe that serious disciplinary issues should be dealt with according to the schools disciplinary procedures. Whether a serious disciplinary problem is handled in the office or my classroom, the principal knows about it immediately. If a student is a physical threat to students, they are removed immediately. No acceptations. Parents must also be notified, possibly brought in for a meeting. Social workers or counselors are also an available resource when necessary. Sometimes, a student is simply set on being a tough guy which can lead to serious behavioral issues in and out of the classroom. Behavior Modification plans are made in these cases. The students behavior is documented and assessed daily, the student is given goals to concentrate on, and they rate their success at those goals and behavior at the end of the day. This forces the student reflect on their own behavior instead of just being told by someone else how they did. For example, I had a student who had a problem with bullying. At the end of each day, the student would report to my cooperating teacher and I and tells us, on a scale of 1-10, how s/he felt they did. The student then had to explain the reasoning behind the score. This is always supported with positive reinforcement. Never underestimate the power of self-assessment. I believe in working to find new ways to keep students engaged and motivated. I think it is important to make lessons as interactive as possible. Not only is this more fun for the student, it assists a multitude of different learning styles. It is also essential to be silly. Laughter is a huge motivator. Whenever possible, give students a choice. If you want students to do a book report, let them present some options they would enjoy. When a project is personal or they had a part in creating it, students have more motivation to get it done. It helps projects and assignments to not feel so forced. I believe in providing students with both factual and conceptual questions. This way students not only need to know the facts, they are able to use deeper thinking skills, reasoning, and logic. Open-ended questions are also a great way to help students insert themselves into the stories they are reading. It also helps me get to know how they think and learn.

One of my greatest goals as a teacher is to instill a love of literature in my students by allowing them to explore different works and find the genre and style that speaks to them. I enjoy teaching the classics and applying them to modern day life and culture. I also love showing kids how these classic works can transport them into another time and place. Authors such as Dickens, Shakespeare, and Tolkien are great ways to explore the power of setting, theme, and literature. I am of the opinion that, as long as a work is school appropriate and approved by the parents, reading is reading. Not many students will choose to read A Tale of Two Cities in their free time unless otherwise instructed. They may, however, read works such as Harry Potter, The Fault in Our Stars, or The Hunger Games. Young Adult literature may not be as challenging for all students as the work of Charles Dickens, but it has the power to get students who would never read on their own to pick up a book. Now, I am in no way arguing that Young Adult Literature should replace classic works. However, I feel that allowing students to read books that interest them in addition to more cannonbased literature can encourage a love for reading and open the door to more challenging works in future.
!