Sixth Grade

Miss Rachel

Miss Rachel’s Philosophies:

There are many philosophies and beliefs that influence me and my teaching, but the following represent a few that have been with me the longest, and have probably been the most influential in who I am and what I do.

•  I believe that teachers are facilitators in children’s educational progress. We are to be available and provide the resources and tools for them to find their own way and discover their own education; not to do things for them that they can learn to do for themselves.
  
• Teaching is the highest form of learning. Therefore, children need to be placed into situations in which they are teaching others. By placing students in teaching, not just leadership roles, we are providing students the opportunity to understand something deeply and intuitively.
  
• Schools are a place to model social responsibility and citizenship. Classes should be actively involved in their community. Teachers should model and provide opportunities for students to participate in a variety of community service activities based on personal and group interests. Through their participation, the students learn the importance of giving back to their community, learn new skills, feel good about themselves and their role within the community, and receive positive feedback and support from the community for their efforts.
  
• Teachers need to model what they teach. If we want students to be respectful and responsible towards others, then their teachers must model that behavior through their interactions with their students.
  
• Students must be exposed to both social and academic lessons at school. Educators can’t just assume that students will learn or know how to behave or interact socially without guidance.
  
• In order to learn, children must feel safe enough to risk failure. It is the teacher and school’s responsibility to foster a safe learning environment for the children by building a classroom and school community of trust.
  
• It takes a village to raise a child. Teachers, families, schools, and communities must work together to create the best possible learning environment for children.
  
• A teacher is just one person. Teachers should welcome visitors into their classrooms and take their class to as many out-of-classroom experiences as possible to continually broaden their classroom’s possibilities and the expose their students to the widest variety. This ensures that the children will receive a greater educational experience than only one person can provide.
  
• We learn together. Teachers learn from their students, too! We are a learning community comprised of students, teachers, families, and community members all learning from and teaching each other.

EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE EDUCATION AWARD

National Science Teacher Association and Toyota TAPESTRY Grant