My teaching philosophy is a combination of a few elements that I believe are vital for students in the situations that mine are in. As a teacher, I am not just an educator, but a parent, a mentor, a psychologist, a coach, and many more roles. My room feels like home for students. It is not intimidating, presumptuous, or cold. Students, when they walk into my classroom, know that they are safe, supported, and able to be themselves. My mission is vital to my teaching. I teach because the excellent education I received shouldn't be based on the wealthy suburb I lived in. It shouldn't be because of the zip code attached to my home address. It most certainly shouldn't be because of my skin color. Too often, I feel that these elements DO define a child's educational story. I teach to change that.
My classroom is one where students smile, socialize with one another, build relationships, and experience new things. It is a loud classroom. Loud with purpose and intention. Students stand on chairs, clap their hands along to songs played while they do their work, work in teams to solve complex world problems, and sing songs to remember their math. Students are on computers and learning math in technologically advanced ways that they may have never seen before. In my classroom, students will leave with real world skills that they need to be successful adults later on in life. We are building the whole child in my classroom, not just one who can solve math problems quickly.
As I first started teaching, it was drilled into us that we have to be No-Nonsense Nurturers, and that we should talk and act a certain way with students. While I tend to agree, I feel that this is one of the philosophies that has changed the most in my four years of teaching. While I speak in a firm tone with students, and demand respect with my NNN attitude, I believe that the stronger method for on-track students is to build a meaningful relationship with that student outside of the classroom. My first year of teaching was filled with MVP directions, harsh tone, and little emotion. It didn't work well for me. I now build strong foundations with students, showing them that they are human beings who deserve the same respect and compassion that I was given as a child. Students know that Mr. Calabro cares about them much more than the grades they get on interim tests. Students who I have a strong relationship with are always on point, following large expectations, and doing it with respect to me. It goes both ways.
My classroom and teaching allow students to be themselves, and to be in an environment where it is ok to fail. Our failures teach us much more than our triumphs. My teaching is supportive of this, and students take risks and grow their confidence when they are in my classroom. It is a joy to teach, and I teach to watch these students grow to their full potential. I teach to make sure my 120 little 5th graders are given the same chance I was when I was ten years old.