Teachi ng Phi losophy

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Why uiu I become a teachei. Foi me, theie was nevei any othei piofession that fulfilleu both my love foi leaining anu
my love foi philanthiopy. I have always loveu school, so much so, that as a chilu I oiganizeu a play school in my paients'
attic foi my thiee biotheis anu neighboihoou chiluien. As I giew up, my love foi leaining shineu thiough my piistine
acauemic iecoius. School was my piioiity, not because it was foiceu upon me, but because I hau an innate uesiie to
make sense of the sciences anu expanu my minu thiough the social sciences. Ny fiist Calculus couise in 0niveisity was
the most challenging acauemic expeiience of my life; this expeiience, coupleu with my competitive spiiit, spaikeu my
uecision to puisue a uegiee in mathematics with the intention of one uay teaching mathematics. Ny goal as a teachei is
to encouiage stuuents to be inuepenuent thinkeis who will seek knowleuge all theii lives anu leave my classioom
piepaieu to puisue limitless options in theii post-seconuaiy euucations.
I cuiiently teach Inteinational Baccalauieate (IB) Bighei Level Nathematics anu Auvanceu Placement (AP) Calculus AB.
I have expeiience also teaching miuule school math (7
th
anu 8
th
giaue), Algebia I, Algebia II, Pie Calculus anu IB
Nathematical Stuuies. Ny classioom is a place of iespect, leaining, challenge, openness anu cieativity. Stuuents engage
in leaining in a vaiiety of ways in my ioom. Founuational mathematical theoiems aie typically conveyeu thiough uiiect
instiuction oi gioup investigations followeu by class uiscussions. Aftei stuuents have a basic unueistanuing of the coie
objectives of the lesson, my goal is to challenge anu ueepen theii unueistanuing thiough pioblem solving. I encouiage
stuuents to woik collaboiatively to solve pioblems in class, while I facilitate gioup uiscussions anu pose questions to
focus stuuent ieasoning as neeueu. I encouiage uiveise solution stiategies anu it is common foi multiple stuuents to
shaie theii appioach to a pioblem with the class followeu by a uialog on the stiengths anu weaknesses of each appioach.
Technology is an integial pait of all of my mathematics couises. I encouiage stuuents to use technology as a tool to
fuithei theii unueistanuing anu to check theii ieasoning. It is an expectation that all of my stuuents will have both
stiong computational skills anu woiking knowleuge of the capabilities of theii giaphing calculatois.
Assessment of stuuent leaining is a ciitical pait of the teaching anu leaining piocess. Ny philosophy on assessment has
been gieatly influenceu by my teaching expeiience at QSI, which follows a masteiy-baseu appioach to euucation.
Nasteiy baseu leaining aligns with my own beliefs on teaching anu leaining, which is that with suppoit, eveiy stuuent is
capable of a high level of unueistanuing anu achievement. I assess stuuent leaining in a vaiiety of ways incluuing: uaily
waim up ieviews, infoimal obseivation anu uialog, unit poitfolios (investigations, classwoik, homewoik), unit quizzes
anu foimal unit assessments. Baseu on my infoimal assessments of the class, I will ieteach mateiial as neeueu. I
attempt to vaiy my explanations oi even invite stuuents to shaie theii way of unueistanuing with the class; this
contiibutes to the collaboiative natuie of my ioom anu fosteis leaining in all stuuents. Foimal assessments aie given in
the foim of unit quizzes anu exams. I am veiy thoughtful in my constiuction of these assessments anu stiive to test a
iange of objectives thiough thought-piovoking tasks that iequiie highei oiuei ieasoning. I pioviue stuuents with a
ieview uay befoie the foimative unit exam in which we uiscuss the unit's objectives anu stuuents woik thiough sample
exam questions. I finu this a ciitical step in the leaining piocess, as stuuents aie able to ieflect on theii unueistanuing,
theii stiengths anu theii weaknesses in piepaiation foi the exam. Following the unit exam, I will continue to woik with
stuuents, who have not yet masteieu the mateiial, aftei school until they uemonstiate a sufficiently high level of
unueistanuing.
As an IB anu AP teachei, a ciitical component of my job is to piepaie stuuents foi the enu exams in Nay. I take this
iesponsibility veiy seiiously anu set high expectations foi my stuuents. Stuuents in both couises will take a seiies of
piactice exams leauing up to the final, official exams. Fiom these expeiiences, stuuents aie well awaie of theii level of
achievement going into the final exam. I have a tiauition of hosting a Nath Lock-In befoie Nay exams, which pioviues an
extenueu length of time foi stuuents to both complete anu coiiect a full-length piactice exam in one setting. Stuuents
love this oppoitunity anu aie enthusiastic to test anu stiengthen theii abilities as the exam uate appioaches.
0utsiue of being a classioom teachei, I have a passion foi woiking with stuuents engageu in seivice anu leaueiship anu I
stiive to get to know my stuuents on a peisonal level. I helpeu initiate the stuuent council at QSI Seconuaiy anu I have
spent the past foui yeais woiking with stuuent leaueis on oiganizing school events, hosting assemblies, piomoting
school spiiit anu opeiating the stuuent stoie. I also finu many oppoitunities to engage in seivice woik with my stuuents
outsiue of school. Nany of my foimei teacheis have been iole mouels in my life anu I hope to seive as a iole mouel to
my own stuuents thiough uemonstiating a high level of caie, thoughtfulness, iesponsibility, tiustwoithiness anu
competence in all I uo.