Vision Statement
I want to become the kind of teacher who always has an answer, gives students clarity in the dark, and, most importantly, is the teacher all of my students can rely on. I want my students to feel welcomed, safe, and respected as soon as they walk into the room. In 5-10 years, I see myself with an organized cache of curriculum and activities I can always pull from and rely on. I see myself at a different school as a teacher whose students always see me at games and extracurriculars. In 5-10 years, I want to be the teacher all my students can rely on.
Artifact 1 – Personal Teaching Philosophy
Throughout my time in several classrooms, I learned a lot about teaching and experienced significant personal growth. For example, during my observation, I saw a student who struggled with keeping attention flourish when the head teacher adapted a lesson to include movement roles, which increased their engagement and confidence. This experience deepened my awareness of the importance of responsiveness and made me reflect on my responsibility as an educator to actively seek out and value each student’s unique approach to learning. I also learned many classroom management skills, how to incorporate different cultures into my class, how to accommodate all types of students, and, most importantly, the kind of teacher I want to be. As I developed these skills, I became more self-aware of my strengths and areas for growth, which motivated me to continue improving. I want to be the teacher kids can come to after school for help with their material, or a support figure when they do not have one at home. I strive to be the teacher that kids remember for the rest of their lives.
Paul Tough’s book “How Children Succeed” highlighted the importance of developing students’ non-cognitive skills, such as perseverance, grit, and resilience. Recognizing that these skills are essential for success in school and life, I aim to foster them in my classroom. For example, when assigning group projects, I design tasks that require intentional effort and collaboration, such as long-term research assignments with periodic check-ins and reflection sessions. This approach encourages students to persist despite challenges, collaborate productively, and reflect on their growth, thus providing concrete opportunities to develop non-cognitive skills through challenging yet achievable tasks.
Learning about seminal theorists such as Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky helped me understand the importance of scaffolding and establishing a zone of proximal development for students, concepts that directly inform my teaching practice by guiding how I design and implement lessons. For instance, drawing on Vygotsky’s theory, when I introduce new concepts, I begin with step-by-step guidance that situates support precisely within students’ current capabilities. Over time, I deliberately reduce scaffolding to allow students to gradually assume more responsibility for their learning, reflecting Vygotsky’s emphasis on the transition from assisted to independent performance. At the same time, Piaget’s stages of cognitive development remind me to select activities that are developmentally appropriate, ensuring students are cognitively prepared for each new challenge. Through this intentional application of theory, I construct learning experiences that both support initial understanding and push students to achieve greater independence. This deeper integration of Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s ideas strengthens my ability to address a diverse range of learning needs and reinforces the principle that effective teaching demands both theoretical insight and practical adaptability.
In conclusion, my philosophy of teaching centers around creating a safe, supportive, and inspiring learning environment where every student feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. By drawing on students’ various backgrounds to increase engagement, intentionally fostering non-cognitive skills through collaborative projects, and applying educational theories such as scaffolding and the zone of proximal development, I aim to support and challenge all learners. Positive language, the development of non-cognitive skills, scaffolding, and adaptability are vital components of my approach to effective teaching.
Artifact 2 – Educational autobiography
My first science class was in sixth grade, and we only met once a week. I saw this teacher so little that I only remember his name, not his face. I remember this was the first test I was ever scared of, other than math tests. I do not know what we learned about in that class, but we barely went to science class in sixth grade and stayed with my regular homeroom teacher.
In seventh grade, a teacher showed me cells for the first time. She encouraged us to go outside and even had us do an activity I never forgot. We had to become better scientific writers, so she had us be as descriptive as possible when telling her how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Of course, no one was specific enough, and I will never forget my teacher putting the side of her face on top of the peanut butter jar after telling her to “eyeball” the amount of peanut butter used. She showed me how to make dioramas that I made with my first group of students, and she also showed me the miracle of life and genetics: from cow birth to dolly the sheep.
In 8th grade, I had a teacher who was more of a friend than a teacher, and I do not remember doing much in her class besides learning about rocks and fooling around with my friends. I often forget her name, but I never forget that she told me my private school could blow up, so I needed to complete the public school paperwork.
In ninth grade, I had a teacher who would tell us about the work he did up north on New Found Lake, and that was when I knew I wanted to become a naturalist. He supported my environmental efforts at the school, and I took many classes with him. He inspired me greatly and showed me the importance of having a voice, being an activist against Big Oil, and cleaning up state parks.
Tenth grade was a challenging year because it was COVID, and I struggled with learning chemistry. My teacher had a lot of hands-on experiences, but she did not teach us in a way I liked, and she and I often got into verbal fights before going on Zoom. In eleventh grade, I finally got into environmental science, where lectures mainly caught my attention because I wanted to study this in the future.
Twelfth-grade physics was a fun class for me because I respected my teacher. After all, he respected me. He stood on business, and people had to do things his way or no way at all. Initially, it was a learning curve, but he was the first teacher to show me that I can become a better student if I study. Thanks to him, I became a straight-A student in his class and have an exemplary GPA in college; I credit him for my success in mathematically based science classes.
Artifact 3 – Philosophy of Science Education
The main thing that works for me as a student is consistent teaching, and I know when to expect it. I will always respect my students, not just as subjects but also as people. Most of the time, if I felt I was not getting respect from a teacher, I would not pay attention in that class to the best of my abilities. I always appreciated getting extra help during office hours and would always take teachers up on it. I want to be a flexible and knowledgeable teacher who can show my students they will be the next generation to run the world, so they need to own it and thrive.
Artifact 4 – Culturally Responsive Teaching Work
Peer support, grounded in Peer-mediated Instruction and Intervention (PMII), helps students succeed. PMII encourages students without disabilities to work with peers who have disabilities, like autism (ASD), fostering meaningful interactions. Peer supports improve both academic and social inclusion by building support networks. Academically, they set clear, achievable goals and specific criteria for skill mastery for students with ASD. Socially, peer support helps students with ASD build relationships and guide neurotypical peers in communicating effectively. Teacher facilitation and intentional structure are necessary for success.
A real-life example is Alex (hypothetical), who has ASD and is in a co-ed 4th-grade classroom. His personal goal is to wait for his peer to finish talking before he starts. Two peers who follow directions well and are socially competent/patient will be chosen to help Alex. The teacher has chosen a group reading activity: all students in this PMII group will be given a “talking stick,” which each student will pass around to comment on the reading, and will not talk until they have the stick. During the activity, the peer reminds Alex to wait his turn, and if he does,s the peer praises him immediately. If Alex interrupts the peer, the peer will gently remind Alex to wait for his turn. The talking stick is a peer-led activity, and the teacher does not intervene. Reinforcement will not only come from verbal cues, but Alex will also receive a sticker/point for each successful turn. The data collected on Alex includes the number of times he waited for his turn and the reduction in his interruptions.
Reflection
My vision is important because it helps me see where I was, what matters to me, and where I can be. It helps me create a rough sketch of my current educational journey and turn it into a visual of where I was and what I can become. What inspired my vision was years upon years of learning. I was never the best student in class, but I had teachers who always pushed me to become better than I was. The main idea of my vision is to acknowledge the places I have been in my education and to inspire me to become the best teacher I can through my personal experiences. During my time at Manhattanville and in creating this ePortfolio, I have learned that not only do my own experiences shape the teacher I am becoming, but they have also provided me with a deep understanding of the hard work, knowledge, and pedagogy that go into each lesson.