User:Sdowd005

Stacey Dowdy

Hi my name is Stacey. I'm an undergrad in the teacher ed program at ODU. I live in Virginia Beach, and I plan on becoming a second grade teacher. I graduated from Greenbrier Christian Academy in 2007 (Go Gators!), and plan on graduating with my bachelors in 2010. I am married to a wonderful guy who I dated in high school. We got married about a month ago after dating for over 3 years. This is the first book I have ever been a part of writing, and I am really excited to see how things turn out. I trust that my peers and I will do a great job and produce the best edition yet!

Though I have never been an actual teacher, and don't have any kids, I have worked with children for a long time. I have worked at two day cares and am currently a nanny. I have great ideas and ambitions about my teaching career, and I'm excited to iron out my true teaching philosophy over the coming months and years of finishing my education.

Teaching Philosophy

For now, I know a little about the kind of classroom I would like to run. I want my classroom to be a fun learning environment. Learning should never be boring or frustrating. I think that kids should enjoy coming to school and learning knew things. Granted there will always be tough subjects and children do learn differently, but there is a way to help each indivdual child reach their potential and have fun at the same time. There are so many methods for teaching and assessing what the students know, I would like to incorperate a wide variety of techniques into my classrooms. This is a way for things not to get repetative or boring. Group activities as well as individual instruction is important for each child to learn. Because different children are auditory, visual or kinestetic learners, it is important to include a mix of each method into the classroom. Also different children may or may not be good test takers, so test are not always the best way to assess whether or not a child is fully comprehending a subject.

I think that a parents role in the education of a child is so important. Children not only need that classroom instruction, but they need actively involved parents or gaurdians who take part in their childrens education. Application of the subjects learned is vital, and where better to apply them than in the home. I think that parents should really take a vested intrest in what their children are learning, and most children at a young age are eager to tell when asked.

When it comes to managing a classroom I think that rewards AND punishment are both equally important. I think that it is important to have a system and stick to it, favortism is not even a question. In the past I have used a point or sticker systems to reward students for good behavior. I think that weekly rewards work much better than daily rewards, although both can be good. In addition to weekly rewards, I think that students should have jobs in the classroom, and those jobs should be equally distributed. Another important aspect of managing a classroom is punishment. Whether it is a time out during recess, the taking away of a "weekly sticker" , or for more "serious" offences a note home, students should be repremanded when they do wrong, just as they are rewarded for doing right.

I think that curriculum, especially at the elementary level, is a huge aspect of the classroom. Students at that age are sponges ready to learn whatever they hear. It is important to stick to acedemic content, however it may be necessary to include certain cultural values into the curriculum. One necessary part of teaching values or culture is to be respectful of others and not biased to your own. Students need to understand that not everone has the same background or beliefs, but that is okay. Another personal belief that I hold is that creationism should absolutely be taught in schools. I am a Christian and so my personal belief is that Creation is a fact, absolute truth. As a teacher, most likely in a public school, I would not be allowed to teach that. However, as someone who loves and believes in science, I know that evolution is a theory, and in the world of science, creation is a theory as well. That being said I think that it is important for both sides to be taught as theories and neither to be taught as truth.

I am so excited to be on a journey this semester, and in the coming semesters, to find out how I will teach and what kind of an educator I will be. I look forward to making changes to this page as I learn more from those who are more experienced, or have different views. Thank you for taking the time to read a little about me!!