Philosophy

I believe an outstanding teacher to be someone who is open to change and is willing to adapt his or her lesson and/or teaching style to meet the needs of the students at hand. An exemplary teacher is someone who influences students beyond the classroom walls and encourages them to excel. Teaching not only content material but life skills as well, an outstanding teacher has an ongoing influence on students even after school hours. As humans, we expand our knowledge on a daily basis and a teacher who is open to learning with and from his or her students is one who, in my opinion, deserves the "outstanding" label. 

Once a wide range of skills and abilities in a classroom are recognized and acknowledged, it becomes the teacher's duty to understand them. Recognizing the different levels amongst students is easy. Implementing plans and providing resources to enhance student learning, however, is the challenging aspect in the matter. In addition to common differentiated instruction, intentional grouping, etc., my responsibility to my students would be to ensure that I offer lessons and ideas that will help them excel in their academic progress, unleash their potential, and develop critical thinking skills.