06 September 2011

The Fishbowl: How to Teach Critical Thinking Skills (click on title to view video)

One of the biggest challenges of education today is how to create a viable curriculum for tomorrow. A curriculum that provides students with the experiences to develop the skills that are in demand in the workforce. One of the greatest concerns of business leaders, community stakeholders and the government is how well students are prepared to think critically and creatively. To interact with other collaboratively and effectively without breaking down lines of communication. These skills are critically important now and are an essential part of a student's toolbox of skills that will help them be successful in the future. I encourage administrators and teachers to embrace a real and more meaningful approach to teaching critical thinking skills to students. There are many resources available online for free to help teachers accomplish just that. Here is just one of them from the folks at Edutopia. Please click on the title to view the video.
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My Philosophy of Teaching

My Philosophy of Teaching:

I just finished my masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I have a firm commitment to my continuing education and strong love of teaching. My greatest draw to education is the opportunity to work daily with students, particularly students for whom success has been elusive or who struggle in the academic setting. I strongly believe in preventative behavior management and, as a student teacher, I have turned the success of lower performing students around using differentiated instructional techniques including collaborative learning, project-based learning and service learning. I do not accept the notion that some students fit a profile of failure and should be side-tracked. I am committed to the success of each and every one of my students. I believe no student should be given up on. I love that none of my students are the same and I value their diversity, linguistic, behavioral, cognitive or otherwise. I do not accept the notion that a student's difference is, necessarily, a hindrance towards their learning and hold the onus upon myself to find ways to facilitate learning for all of my students. Finally, I am aware of the importance of collaboration between faculty and staff. Cross-content instruction is not only important for the student's cognition, but is also important for a teacher's professional development. I believe strongly that a teacher's classroom is a place of constant innovation and improvement, and the sharing of ideas between faculty and staff, as well as the close cross-content collaboration of teachers, is important in improving the overall success of teachers, and, by proxy, our students. We are all responsible for the success of every student in the school, not just those who are in our classroom.