My Core Beliefs ...

My Core Beliefs (A Work in Progress)

Learning:

• I believe that ALL students can learn.  Not all students learn in the same way but all students can learn.
• I believe that learning does not have to take place in the confines of four walls.  Get students out of the classroom!!  Take field trips, walks to the park, visit local museums, landmarks and businesses.  Take them to the local library and participate in a virtual field trip with another classroom.  There is much to be learned in these places.
• I believe students of any age have the right to a teacher who is committed to their learning and success.  This translates to building an environment that in conducive to learning via the feeling of safety, inclusion and equity.  All students should be encouraged to take academic risks in the safety of their classroom community.

Teaching:

• All teachers need to be committed to their students and the students' attainment of knowledge.  This knowledge should not be contained to that read from a book but needs to include life lessons, social justice, equity and have multiple opportunities for application.
• Teaching should include the students themselves.  Each member of the classroom should be an active creator of their own knowledge facilitated by the encouraging and eye of the teacher.  
• Teaching should include connections and communication.  Connections to students lives, life experiences, cultures, families, communities, native countries, languages and any other facet of one's life that helps to build on and create new knowledge.  Communication being the number one avenue of knowledge transfer is critical in building these connections.  

World: 

• I believe that the world is a classroom and that through technology students and teachers alike can learn from all corners of the world.  
• The world has finite resources and students should be educated on how to care for it so that the world can continue to take care of its inhabitants.
• I believe that our classrooms are microcosms of the world with different cultures, religions, races, ethnicities and pathways to learning.  Each of these deserves recognition and respect where inclusion and collaboration are critical to its overall well being and sustainability,

Final Project:

My final project is dedicated to building connections and increasing communication with students and families.  In doing so, I am going to attempt to build a classroom web site so that students and families are always up to date regarding classroom happenings.  I would like to include a classroom calendar, photos, school and district information, and links to sites that will provide additional supports to families and students.  I believe that communication and connections are essential to the success of students and the classroom in which they are a community member and that a classroom website will help to facilitate this success.