When I think about how my teaching identity has been created and where my teaching philosophies have started, I think of my children. I am a single mother of 5 amazing children. I have kiddos that have been diagnosed adhd, autistic, and ocd. I have two children that have needed speech therapy services. I have two children with 504 plans at their schools I have had to advocate for them and collaborate with their teachers for many years. I believe that my experience as a mother has given me a unique experience as a teacher.
I didn't become an educator until I was 40 years old. I was/am in the midst of raising my kids and realized that I wanted to be on their schedule instead of requiring them to work around mine. I went back to grad school, switched professions, and now here I am. As I go into the classroom, it easy for me to see what students need and how I might accommodate them because I have a trained "eye" thanks to watching my own children go through these same grades.
Even though I can see what accommodations students might need, my philosophy is still very much to hold high expectations for all of my students. Students need someone to believe that not only can they pass their classes, but they can succeed and do very well! Along with those expectations, I always try to think about how I can make my lessons more interactive and more fun. I believe that students will always learn better if they are enjoying themselves. Can we always accomplish this for every student? Of course not. But we can try our best!
Understanding why 504s are critical is an important part of being an educator. I feel that in this current political climate, the 504 and IEP's are not well understood. Here is a good resource for those that would like to do some reading - https://special-education-journey.com/the-role-of-a-504-plan-in-special-education/ . This resource explains what a 504 is, the legality of the 504, and how important they are to make our classrooms and schools more accessible and equitable for all of our students.
One of the most important philosophies that I hold as an educator is that of having good relationships with your students. This is something that I saw very clearly during my teaching residency. During some of my graduate teaching courses, they stressed heavily on how important it was to learn every student's name. I am someone that has always struggled remembering people's names. However, during my residency, I did my best and as I watched as the kids realized I knew who they were, listened to what they had to say, and wanted to genuinely help them; I saw what a huge difference it made. I had students coming to say good morning to me before they headed off to their other classes, students would want to participate and answer questions, students would tell me jokes because they knew I would laugh. Those relationships are the foundation to learning. Nothing will ever change my mind that having a good relationship with your students will make or break a class. As my teaching residency came to a close, I had so many students asking me where I was going next. I told them I wasn't sure yet and they all would tell me to get a job at that school so that I could still be their teacher. I was so happy that I had built those relationships and that they were excited to learn with me.
One of my favorite videos that was shown during my teaching program was a ted talk by Rita Pierson, https://youtu.be/SFnMTHhKdkw?si=RMtS8e31iE_qqsDJ . She talks about how kids do not learn from people they don't like. That positive relationship with your students is absolutely vital to teaching effectively.
As I go into my teaching career, I am excited to learn as much as I can and be ready to adapt and expand my teaching philosophies and identity.
Citations-
Hanson, J. (2025, September 5). The role of a 504 plan in special education. Special Education Journey. https://special-education-journey.com/the-role-of-a-504-plan-in-special-education/
TED. (2013, May 3). Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw
#identity #teachingphilosophy
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