Teaching Philosophy

Teaching philosophy is something I feel comes with time and experience. However, before even having a true classroom experience as a teacher without the training wheels of the practicum courses or a master teacher, beliefs about learning can be established. By learning, I mean that my students will hopefully come away from my class with a better understanding of themselves and the world they live in. As an English teacher, I hope to expose my students to different cultures and schools of thought, including spiritual beliefs and construction of the true self, so that they can take what they believe is true and be who they truly are. I believe that teachers can take on the role of a coach, giving students tools to get through rough times or sail through easy times. I would encourage life-long learning and transformational learning, as well as competency in more concrete skills like spelling, grammar, and essay-writing skills.

My goals for my students would fall into two categories: concrete skills and abstract skills. Concrete skills would be things like proper spelling and grammar, as well as better study skills and essay writing. These things will be integrated into the lessons, because as a student, I always hated the infamous “grammar days” where the entire class period was dedicated to something dry like semicolon use. As for the abstract skills, I would hope that my class would give my students the tools to construct their true selves. For me, it was The Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey that were influential books in the person I am today. I would hope that like me, my students would identify with characters in coming of age novels, which would make their transition to adulthood a bit easier. While this would be an ideal teaching situation for me, having each student take something valuable from my class into their later lives, I doubt that every student will absorb something from my class.

In order to teach my students everything I want them to learn, I will have to integrate some things into my lessons, and possibly do “mini lessons” before the start of each class. For example, if we were to read Hamlet in class, I would do a mini lesson on Shakespeare or Elizabethan English to prepare my students. I could also use Shakespeare as an example of a writer who uses inverted syntax when I need to teach them grammar. By integrating elements into the lessons, I believe they will absorb more tedious information without feeling bored or resenting the subject.

My tests and quizzes will be made up of true and false answers, multiple choice and short answer or essay questions. I feel this setup gives each student a bit of wiggle room as far as concrete answers such as true and false, because their short answers can be up for interpretation, and many answers will be accepted as correct. However if a student excels in multiple choice questions, they can probably leave out certain elements of their short answer essay without it severely hurting their grade. I will also have students create a portfolio of handouts, notes, tests and quizzes for the end of the year or semester as part of their final grade. I believe this reinforces proper organizational habits, which will be helpful to them in any career. I will rely mostly on traditional tests, as I feel it directly shows a student’s understanding of a topic, as well as essays to let students express their creativity and show what they’ve learned in my class.

As a teacher, I will also set goals for myself. At the end of each class period, I will briefly think about what worked in that class and what didn’t, and what should possibly be changed for the next class. My goal would be to be able to present my information in ways that most students, if not every one of them, could connect to and understand. I would hopefully be able to address different learning styles by using music, video clips, essays, examples of essays, and artifacts relating to the curriculum. At the end of each semester or year, I will give my students the opportunity to anonymously evaluate my teaching, and take into consideration what they say. If they say they didn’t understand why I gave them certain handouts, I would make that clear to my next class, or something similar to that. I would learn new skills by observing my friends’ and colleagues’ classes when I could, and see what they do and if I could apply it to my own class. I’ll know that I have taught effectively when my students come to me on their own, wanting to know more about a particular subject.

Teaching Resources

Supporting teaching resources

Teachertube.com – a “Youtube” for teachers, where educational videos, such as a man dressed as Abraham Lincoln reading the Gettysburg Address, can be uploaded and shared in the teaching community. Example: http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=24266 (additional video below)

Lessonplans.com- A site by Teacher Planet, Lessonplans.com offers thousands of lessons by subject, content, grade level, age or even month. Example: http://www.lessonplans.com/ext-resource.php?l=http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp252-03.shtml

AP English Literature files – My senior year of high school, I created a file filled with everything from my English class from that year. As a future English teacher, I knew that all the notes, handouts, tests, quizzes, papers and worksheets would be useful for me, should I be teaching the same or similar curriculum.

Resume

12308 Avenida Consentido San Diego, CA 92128 (858) 692-1025 tarynb1@sbcglobal.net

Taryn Bates

Objective	Teach high school English
Work Experience	Panera Bread 12156 Carmel Mountain Boulevard San Diego, CA 92128 Cashier Highland Ranch Elementary School 14840 Waverly Downs Way San Diego, CA 92128 Extra Student Services (ESS) Program Aide
Accomplishments	President of Rancho Bernardo High School Madrigal Choir, member of the Resident Hall Association (RHA) at Northern Arizona University
Activities	Girl Scouts, Indian Princesses through the YMCA
Interests	Cross-country road trips, study abroad in London in fall of 2011
Education	Northern Arizona University S. San Francisco Street Flagstaff, AZ 86011 Dates attended: From August 2009 – Present (Currently sophomore status) Rancho Bernardo High School 13010 Paseo Lucido San Diego, CA 92128 Dates attended: From August 2005 – June 2009
References	Mary Adams (Highland Ranch) 14840 Waverly Downs Way San Diego, CA 92128 (858) 485-7310 Michelle Hansen (Panera) 12156 Carmel Mountain Boulevard San Diego, CA 92128 (858) 385-9066

Classroom Management

Classroom Management Plan

Philosophy/Rationale: (what are your beliefs about teaching and classroom management?)

I believe an effective classroom is a classroom that is under control. The students should be following the instruction of the teacher without moaning and groaning, backtalking, giving an attitude or refusing altogether. The teacher is the authority.

Creating the Environment

Student Expectations (what are your expectations of the students?)

I expect my students to complete their work on time, give their best efforts in class, remain respectful of me and other students, ask questions when needed and be responsible as far as personal items, due dates, and other requirements. They will not talk while I am talking, and will give the same respect to their peers.

Setting Up the Classroom Environment (physical seating, seating chart, wall decorations, books and supplies)

I will not use a seating chart unless necessary. If the students prove to me that they are able to sit next to friends and still be quiet and courteous in class while getting all their work done, they may choose where they sit. If not, I will create a random seating chart. I will have a library readily available for students who wish to “check out” a book from me. Classroom supplies will be available, to an extent. If a student makes a habit of never bringing their assigned book, points will be deducted from their final grade. However, if special circumstances arise, or a students forgets materials once in a while, I will provide materials for them. The walls will be decorated with quotes of well-known authors, as well as the students’ original work.

Rewards and Consequences

I will often give opportunities for enrichment. If I see that a student has a borderline grade, but has done all the enrichment opportunities, I will be more inclined to round up their grade. If a student chooses not to complete these opportunities, points will be neither given nor deducted from the final grade, however I will be less inclined to be lenient with their final grade. Consequences for misbehavior and late assignments will result in a 50% grade cut for one day late, and a 0 on the assignment for anything later than that. Misbehavior will be marked down for deduction on the final grade, depending on the severity of the student’s behavior.

Procedures

First Day Introductions: Teacher and Students

I believe it is important to let the students know who their teacher is, as well as who their peers are. The first day of class will be spent reviewing the syllabus as well as completing a few icebreaker activities.

Posting Assignments

Homework will be assigned every few days, and will be posted on the front board for the week. Students will be expected to take down the due dates and requirements, and hand the assignments in when asked.

Collecting Assignments

Each class period will have a basket at the front of the classroom with a card attached, indicating which basket belongs to which period. At the beginning of class, students will be asked to place their assignments in the appropriate basket for easy collection.

Handouts

Handouts are to be hole-punched and kept in the student’s binder for easy reference during the school year.

Late Work Policy

Unless a student has extenuating circumstances that were brought to my attention before the due date, an assignment that is one day late will only receive half credit. Anything longer than one day will result in a 0 for the assignment.

Turning in Late Work

Late work should be handed in to me personally, not placed in the class homework basket.

Collecting Make-up work

Make-up work should also be handed into me, not placed in the class homework basket.

Beginning Class

At the beginning of each class, students will be asked to respond thoughtfully to a quote written on the board, and to keep these journal entries for their end-of-the-year portfolio.

Ending Class

Students are dismissed by the teacher, not the bell.

Taking Attendance

Attendance will be taken every day at the beginning of class, using either a seating chart or a class roster.

Grouping and Cooperative Learning

As an English teacher, book groups are going to be an integral part of the curriculum. Students will be assigned 5-7 students to a group, each having a particular book to read. They will be given guided reading questions and an essay prompt for the book.

Restroom Breaks

Students will be given four passes for the restroom (unless a medical condition requires more) to spend as they please during each semester. They can either be used, or saved for the end of the year for 2 points extra credit to their final grade.

Accessing Classroom Resources

If a student needs to access a resource for the classroom, they should come to me before poking around the room to see if they can find it themselves.

Speaking in Class

Students are not permitted to speak without being called on first, unless the lesson involves a Socratic seminar, which is student-led. If a student has a question, comment or concern during a lesson, I will always ask for raised hands.