Educational Philosophy

 

Character Matters

 

As professional educators, we have an ethical and moral responsibility to uphold the highest standards of character for ourselves and our students.  This includes modeling strong character for our students, teaching students about strong character, and establishing a culture where character is paramount.  Several of the fundamental traits that should be the focus of our character development are respect, integrity, courage, honesty, perseverance, humility, compassion, inclusivity, self-discipline, and forgiveness.  When an entire group of educators models these traits and stresses their importance in their classrooms, students learn how to be positive contributing members in our society.

 

All Students Can Learn

 

Students come to us with a variety of backgrounds and ability levels, and it is up to us as educators to ensure equity so that we can meet the individual learning needs of the students we serve.  This is not just an arbitrary philosophical statement.  When educators recite the mantra that “all children can learn” but persist in lesson plans, policies, and assessments that embody the philosophy that only a few will succeed, then children quickly learn that yet another adult in their lives says one thing and does another.  In order to fully develop this philosophy, it is important that educators view students as individuals with specific learning needs.  These specific needs should be matched to the instruction that is provided and the tasks that students are asked to complete.  My belief that all students are capable of learning at one level or another is a fundamental principle under which I operate, and I believe that the actions of school leaders and teachers should ensure the maximum likelihood of success for all students. 

 

We Control the Conditions for Success

 

Many things happen in a child’s life that impact their educational development, and many of those things are out of our control as educators.  While students come to school with a diverse array of backgrounds and experiences outside of our control, we are professionals who can control many of the conditions that can ultimately lead to student success.  Schools should focus their energies on the conditions that are within their control and matter most such as; guaranteeing challenging, engaging, and intentional instruction; committing to inclusive and equitable practices; ensuring personalized curricular pathways to success; providing whole-child student supports; creating high-performance school cultures; and developing data-driven, high-reliability systems.  I believe these conditions will most often produce success and that we must direct all of our energy toward what we can influence, while acknowledging, but not focusing on, what is beyond our control. 

 

Educators, Schools, and Districts are Either Improving or Declining

 

It is critical that we are always exploring ways, developing strategies, and implementing plans to improve ourselves and our school for the students we service.  Educators, schools, and districts that choose to stay the same in this day and age are declining.  If we fail to seek continuous improvement, we will become stagnant, irrelevant, and a disservice to our students.  There are no perfect people or schools, and, therefore, there is always room for improvement.  I believe that it is essential to establish a culture where improvement is a daily goal for each individual and for the entire school building.  Furthermore, I believe that an expectation of excellence and high-standards allow for school districts to seek not just being a great school district, but the best school district.