Alyssa Beecher
Elementary tutor
Former teacher of grades 1-4
Philosophy of Education
Ultimately, the purpose of Christian education is to glorify God in all that is taught and learned. All subjects are taught with a biblical worldview since knowledge and all things in creation begin with God. The goal and underlying principle that guides learning and education is Christ. Our purpose is to serve and represent Christ to the world in all that we do, especially in our education. I, as the teacher, am a guide and model who seeks to bring a deeper knowledge of God and His word to my students. I desire them to struggle, grow, and make their faith their own aided by scriptural truths and tangible models of what it means to live as a christian and follow after Christ. I desire to create a safe environment for students by mutual trust, respect, and love. I strive to make the classroom a safe places for students to learn and wrestle with their struggles in, for the purpose of having authentic relationships and participate in cooperative learning and conversation. I show care for each student individually, and my relationship with them is one of discipleship in order to build up the kingdom of God.
Philosophy of Learning
A teacher can promote a love for learning by being lifelong learners themselves. A teacher can promote this love by taking seemingly unexciting subjects and transforming them to appeal to the interests and needs or their students. Students need to feel safe to learn which is why teachers should create a safe space where students can feel free to explore ideas and interact with subjects without ridicule. Learning is driven by relationship, as a teacher I strive to make connections with students, show them their value, and love them. Learning also increases when students feel they are able to succeed. Teachers should celebrate success as well as failures because failures are just stepping stones and are natural for all human beings. The environment for learning should be one of comfort, love, and have an overall positive learning atmosphere. Students learn best in a variety of different ways so the teacher should be open to accommodating and including different learning styles to achieve the greatest amount of success. Learning is a process that takes perseverance, students should be encouraged to put their best foot forward and to take on challenges..
Philosophy of Classroom Management
Children are made in the image of God, but they are not perfect. Management and discipline should keep in mind what is loving and best for the child. Children often require directions and consequences for their actions, as well as rewards. Rules and expectations should be stated and posted at the beginning of the year to maintain a positive learning environment. Students are expected to follow all directions, and if they fail to do this than consequences will come into play. This should start with redirection or guiding, followed up by a warning. If the issue persists than additional steps should be take such as removing the child from the situation, having a talk with that child, contacting parents, or an apology. Problems should be handled by the classroom teacher, but if the problem is serious than the principal could be contacted to talk with the child. There is zero tolerance for bullying. I encourage my students to respect each other, the teacher, and administrative staff by listening when others are speaking, by keeping their hands, feet, and objects to themselves, and by treating others as they would want to be treated. Words are used to build each other up in appropriate ways. I believe students are to take responsibility for their actions and understand that there are consequences for misbehavior. All discipline is for purpose of discipleship and sanctification as we follow after Christ.
Philosophy of Reading and Writing
The Lord has blessed us with the gift of language. The English language affects almost every aspect of our lives in the United States, so it is essential for students to become skilled at understanding, interpreting, and expressing it. As Christians we can know God and hear what he wants to communicate to us through reading his Word, the Bible. Through writing and reading, people have the ability to hear and to be heard. Reading and Writing are both beneficial forms of communication that allow students to gain knowledge and experience and share knowledge and experience. It is my desire to instill a love of reading and writing by partaking with them in Language Arts. I want my students to have options in what they read, and be exposed to a variety of genres and styles of books, articles, and poetry. I will allow time every day for students to read silently, with partners, whole class, or small group. Students will also be exposed to the 6+1 traits of writing, which are ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation. I give my students real examples of excellent writing to glean from and we work together to edit and revise our own writing.
Philosophy of Math
God created our world with order, precision, and consistency. Mathematics is a subject that helps people comprehend and express those consistent laws and relationships that God created. Math is everywhere in our world and should be interacted with. There is not one way to get the right answer in math, every student is created differently and as a teacher I celebrate their creativity and critical thinking skills as they problem solve. I believe students should be challenged and allowed to try, fail, reassess, and redirect until they succeed. Math should accommodate the variety of learning styles as well as best practices by using manipulatives and kinesthetic assignments. Math should be relevant, practical, and tangible for students. As students learn to appreciate this orderly system, they will in turn, develop a heart of thanksgiving and praise for the God that created it all.