By Laura Nicole Bramlett Watkins

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PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

Texas A&M University-Commerce

Spring 2014

EdAd 614 Leading Learning Communities InternshipDr. Lauren Dill

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS

Outstanding professional educators must love every student, believe that each student’s ability to achieve and to be successful is without limitations, and completely devote themselves to their students each year.  They must be passionate, energetic, and hardworking while facilitating engaging, academically rewarding, and innovative activities.  They implement best practices and work towards meeting each individual student’s needs. Differentiation is critical. While focusing on standards, an outstanding professional educator should also teach and model for students the importance of quality character, high morals and integrity.  Professional educators have high expectations for themselves and their students and are continuously working towards improvement and excellence.

THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Student learning is best facilitated when students are given ownership of their learning and activities are student-guided.  The teacher should serve as the facilitator by developing high interest opportunities for learning that meet various learning styles, abilities, and address student’s individual goals and objectives.  All students have different strengths and weaknesses, goals, learning styles, and abilities.  The classroom environment must provide learning opportunities that can accommodate each individual learner and challenge them at their personal level.

The professional learning environment encourages educators to grow professionally. One of the best ways to improve student performance is through quality professional development opportunities, providing teachers with additional instructional strategies and methods that directly align with their students’ specific needs. Continual, quality professional development and training reinforces an awareness and use of best practices, innovative teaching, as well as collaboration amongst peers, ensuring that quality learning is facilitated within a highly effective classroom.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

Education should prepare students to be responsible, confident, and productive members of society.  A quality education equips students with social and academic skills needed to build a foundation that will allow them to go in any direction that they choice to take.  Students should walk away each year excited about learning, their abilities, and their future.  

THE ROLE OF TEACHERS IN THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

In order to support the learning environment the teachers must . . . • Ensure that all students needs are met within the classroom to include social,

emotional, physical and academic needs. • Have high expectations for all students and believe that every student has the

right to an amazing education and has the ability to achieve without limitations. • Plan academically engaging and meaningful lessons and activities based on the

TEKS that challenge students at their level and push them towards maximizing their potential.

• Ensure that parents and appropriate school personal remain constantly informed of students progress, to include their areas of strengths and weaknesses.

• Constantly be collecting, and analyzing student data and planning individualized activities that will meet that students needs.

• Differentiate activities and lessons based on student’s various learning styles, abilities, and background differences in order to best engage each individual.

• Continually grow professionally in areas that will directly align with the schools vision and current students areas of need.

THE ROLE OF STUDENTS IN THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

In order to support the learning environment at the school and district levels, student must . . . • Do their best.• Treat others with respect. • Come to school ready to learn and

committed to excellence.• Follow the school rules.

THE ROLE OF PARENTS IN THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

In order to support the learning environment at the school and district levels, parents should . . . • Support student learning at home by working with your child on necessary skills

and strategies that will help them ultimately experience a high level of success and performance within the classroom environment.

• Work collaboratively with the school and district in order to form a partnership that supports student learning and helps educators to meet the needs of all children.

• Remain in constant communication, providing the school and district with both positive and negative feedback, so that they can ensure that continuous improvement towards a common vision takes place.

• Stay involved, be it through volunteer opportunities, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), the Campus Improvement Committee, etc. There are various organizations and activities that require stakeholder involvement each year in order to be successful.

THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE LEARNING

ENVIRONMENT

In order to support the learning environment at the school and district levels, community members should . . . • Work collaboratively with the school and district in order to

form a partnership that supports student learning and helps educators to meet the needs of all children.

• Remain in constant communication, providing the school and district with both positive and negative feedback, so that they can ensure that continuous improvement towards a common vision takes place.

• Stay involved, be it through volunteer opportunities, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), the Campus Improvement Committee, etc. There are various organizations and activities that require stakeholder involvement each year in order to be successful.

A VISION OF SCHOOL

SUCCESS

All students have the right to an exemplary education that ignites a passion for learning, a curiosity about the world around them, and the belief that they can change the world! Every student must have teachers who believe that they can excel and are dedicated to the objective of success for all learners. Making new discoveries, exploring and overcoming challenges through the implementation of the TEKS, best practices, differentiation, an awareness of learning styles and needs, collectively results in a student-driven learning environment that manifests into inquisitiveness and innovation.

In addition to academic instruction it is essential that students acquire a comprehensive education that prepares them for their future by building character and teaching them responsibility, respect, integrity, collaboration, accountability as well as establishing individual independence and confidence. It is the responsibility of schools to educate the whole child and prepare them to be productive and contributing citizens in their 21st century globalized world.

Schools need a clear vision that motivates all stakeholders to work towards a common goal through collaboration and developed via the continuous analysis of various forms of data. Stakeholders should be inspired to value and embrace student diversity, individualized student needs and objectives, use data and assessments, in a collaborative and ongoing conversation that is centered on increasing student performance and ensuring student success. Every student should walk away each school year excited about learning, their abilities, and their future.