katemrob.blog-city.com

Introduction

« H E email
posted Monday, 7 April 2008
   Hi, my name is Kate Robertson.  I graduated from UCLA in the spring of 2007 and began my teaching credential program at Antioch University in July 2007.  This is my last quarter in the program.  Throughout January and February I student taught at Menlo Avenue Elementary in a 3rd grade classroom.  It was a wonderful experience and I miss all of my kids!  I am currently student teaching in a 1st grade classroom in Westwood.  I’m very familiar with this school as I was a teaching assistant in a 1st grade classroom there while I was an undergrad at UCLA.        I strongly believe in a child-centered philosophy, and providing a classroom that recognizes the child as a whole person, while maintaining a challenging and purposeful academic curriculum.  I believe in providing a balanced language arts program incorporating art, music, technology, and various cultural experiences in order to help form more well-rounded individuals.  I also feel that hands-on experiences for students are extremely important to create a passion for critical thinking and problem solving.  These opportunities allow children to discover their own connections to concepts and to construct their own webs of meaningful knowledge.  Creating life-long learners is one of my primary goals as an elementary-school educator. 

 I have not been able to use any edtech in the classroom thus far; the only type of technology I’ve used is an overhead projector and a CD player!  I am very excited to learn a lot this quarter. 


comments (4)


1. Terry Smith left...
Thursday, 10 April 2008 2:42 am

Kate - I like your succinct thoughts about a child-centered philosophy, the child as a whole person, a challenging and purposeful academic curriculum incorporating art, music, technology, and various cultural experiences. Sounds stimulating and fun, like a place a kid might want to be! -- Terry


2. ldavisasian left...
Sunday, 13 April 2008 4:12 am

kate, i am glad you put in your philosophies on education... i love the words you put in - "child centered" and "life long learning" are both central to the ideas we've been learning about, and the more i understand the experience of being in the classroom, the more i come to agree with how those philosophical ideas can be applied realistically, and which buzzwords are ... just that.

i, like you, hope to bring a centered and balanced approach to my classroom. :) ... how, I have yet to figure out.


3. peter2964 left...
Thursday, 12 June 2008 12:48 am

Kate,

While reading your introduction I was really able to paint a picture in my mind of who you want to be as a teacher. I think it is great that you were able to incorporate your education philosophies, by reading them I can tell you are in it for the kids. I'm nearly certain that whoever you teach will remember you for an eternity.


4. jackrich25 left...
Friday, 20 June 2008 12:22 am

Kate,

Everyone who left comments referred back to your philosophy, and I agree. As teachers we should make sure that our classrooms are child center. I also like what Cynthia said. She talked about making sure our classrooms are safe in environments were our students feel value, and get validated so that learning can take place. So in my class one way I can ensure that my classroom in child center, is to have environments that is safe and a place where my students can be content. .