Educational Philosophy

My educational philosophy has been shaped by my own experience going to school, my experience working as a paraprofessional and substitute teacher, and my graduate courses at Dominican University

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Every student has the capacity to learn and grow. Vgotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) Theory states that students have a zone or range of abilities. Each zone of proximal development (ZPD) ranges from what a student can do independently to what a student is unable to do. In the middle of the zone is what a student can do with a teacher’s assistance. It is a teacher’s job to find each student’s zone and to then scaffold activities and lesson plans to ensure every student is growing regardless of their current ability levels. In addition to meeting students at their current ability levels, it is the teacher’s job to utilize sound learning theories and innovative technology in order to create an engaging, inclusive environment for students.  

Classrooms should be safe, fun environments where students are constantly learning! I have worked under some fantastic lead teachers that have taught me techniques for creating this type of environment.

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Classrooms should have:

• A structured environment and schedule

• Educated, culturally-competent teacher & staff

• Preplanned materials and an evidence based curriculum

• A classroom-wide behavior management system (PBIS)

• Assistive technology

My work experience and coursework have taught me several different theories/strategies for teaching students. I believe my educational philosophy can be summed up in one sentence- Students should be engaged, feel safe, and feel like the confident, independent learners they are.