Philosophy of Education

I believe that:

• Children construct knowledge through direct experience
• Children use their physical and social worlds as well as playful interactions with objects, materials and people to acquire knowledge
• The context of a warm and supportive environment with responsive adult relationships is where children learn and develop best
• Learning and development are interrelated from the child’s very first day of life
• Asking children to think by offering open-ended activities and questions supports children’s cognitive development
• Young children become learners and make sense of their physical and social world through play
• Children will rise to whatever level you hold them accountable for
  
• During play, children are actively creating themes, exploring environments, solving problems, and developing shared understandings
• In preschool, a predictable daily routine includes both teacher-directed activities (circle time and small groups) and child-initiated experiences and is important for student growth and learning
• Portfolio assessment gives a rich and detailed picture of each child as an individual.
• Careful documentation of each child’s progress though a collection of work samples, anecdotal records and photographs is a true authentic assessment of a child’s progress.
• Families are valued and appreciated. A child’s home life plays a vital role in their success at school. Consideration is given to large and small family events that play a part in child’s world.

In my classroom :

• I take on the role of supporter or facilitator of children's play and learning
  
• I prepare the environment with fun, age-appropriate materials and activities
• I observe the children for chances to extend and enhance growth and learning through play
• I understand that a child’s individual growth patterns, interests, and experiences play a large role in their learning experiences.
• I provide children with a wide variety of interesting, inclusive, and challenging play experiences.
• I provide repeated experiences, so children are able to shed light on and begin to “own” various skills and concepts
• I understand that what works for one child may not work for another
• I place significant value on each child and what they can achieve
• I make sure each child knows that they are a valuable asset to our learning community no matter their abilities or disabilities
  
• I am open to many different approaches. I am a keen observer of children so I get to know how they learn best.
• There are common threads that will be present in any and all of my classrooms. These include safety and security, consistent boundaries and clear expectations, compassion and warmth, and a sense of belonging.
• I strive to teach my students that we all have gifts as well as challenges; we can learn from each other, and encourage each other.
• I allow my students to see areas that I am still learning in so that they can see learning as a life long process
• I use cooperative learning, independent learning, visual, auditory, kinesthetic activities, demonstrations, peer tutoring, multimedia instruction, project- based learning, questioning, organizers, games, brainstorming sessions and thematic approaches in my classroom regularly
  
• I use the resources of the school community and the greater community to aid in the learning process of my students and myself