Philosophy of Education

        Many years ago, I was appalled and angered by the treatment of students with learning problems. I was in high school and had to watch my friend struggle with his coursework. I decided that day, that if I became a teacher, no student would be treated that way in my classroom.

          Today, thirty-five years later, I am a teacher; I do not treat students with special learning needs that way. I believe every child can learn. It is not their fault that they cannot learn the same way as their peers. It is my duty as a teacher of students with Special Needs to find their learning style and teach them with that learning style. It is also my duty to help these students understand the way they learn best, and then help them discover ways they can overcome their learning obstacles even if other teachers don’t help them.

          I am a teacher to make learning fun, and prepare students with Special Needs to finish their high school career with an education that helps them be successful in their adult lives.

          I accomplish this by teaching to their strengths, use activities that seem like play, but are deeper learning than the traditional method. I engage these students in stimulating conversations that will help them remember the concepts later. By teaching this way, students enjoy learning now and continue to want to learn other skills after they graduate.  Besides it makes teaching fun. It also makes me a memorable teacher. In the past seventeen years, students whom I have taught in elementary come up to me at the high school and tell me how much I helped them learn and grow.