I have the privilege of teaching an amazing group of 1st graders this year who are curious about the world around them. My teaching philosophy is to create a positive environment where students feel supported and safe as well as instill a love of reading and books. Another important constant in my classroom is to teach students about other countries around the world and how we are all more alike than different. We have been learning about kids and their cultures in various countries around the world and my students are engaged and excited. They are constantly grabbing our classroom globe asking questions and wanting to know about other places. I love their enthusiasm and believe that this generation is the generation that can change the world to be a place of hope, compassion and positive change.
My Project
Finland is highly regarded in terms of the education that they provide their students and this conference would allow me to learn more. I would be spending 20+ hours in PD which has me interacting and learning from teachers, students and administrators in Helsinki. Over the past 17 years of my dedication to students as a public school teacher, I have read many articles about Finland's educational philosophy. By placing myself in their country with others that share my same passion for education, I know how special and meaningful this experience would be for me as well as my students and school.
Cultivating growth in our profession is what allows teachers to continue to evolve and make educational decisions where our students will thrive.
I strongly believe that I will never be done learning and growing and professional development that is meaningful is a large part of my evolution as an educator. Learning from others across the globe will give me the opportunity to reflect on my own practice and bring back new ideas to my students and school. I also want to teach my students about the world around them. By using new strategies and ideas that I learn, my students will also continue to learn and grow. This also solidifies for them that even adults continue to learn new things and that learning is dynamic and never stops. I always tell my students that they should never stop being curious, continue to ask questions and lead a rich life full of experiences. I also tell them that adults never stop learning either and I plan to share my learning as a student with them when I return. Thank you so much for reading my project.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Angstadt and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.