About Me

My name is Ashley Hernandez. I am a student at the University of South Alabama, majoring in Elementary Education. I was born and raised in New Jersey and moved to Alabama in January of 2009. I have an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from the County College of Morris and looking forward to getting my Bachelors Degree. I love working with children and watching them grow and learn. I have worked in preschools since I was 16 years old. I hope to teach Kindergarten one day!


Friday, April 30, 2010

Tools I Will Use in my Classroom

I have learned alot about different tools to use in my classroom. For one, I will use Google spreadsheets to keep track of grades and other important information. I think that when teaching the history of something, using timetoast will really help as a visual aid and would actually be fun for the children to make. I will use Itunes U personally to keep up with the latest information on what I am teaching my students. I feel that it would also be fun to make a class podcast, voicethread, or even demonstrate skype in class. Children are amazed by technology and it would make it more intriguing to involve technology in my lessons. As previously stated, I will also have a classblog to allow my students and parents in the classroom to stay connected and up to date on the latest news. I plan to be a technologically literate teacher and use technology in my lessons.

My Classroom Environment

An ideal classroom should be a comfortable atmosphere for each and every student. The classroom should be a home away from home for the student. Each student will serve their own purpose in the classroom to form a team. My classroom will be well managed, and we will focus on working together. The environment will be welcoming and each child will feel like they are a part of the classroom. I will make sure that each child feels needed and enjoys being in my classroom. There will be no negativity or hostility. We are all friends. :)

What Teaching Means to Me

I feel that teaching is not a job, it is a profession. It is so rewarding to know that you helped a child become a better person. I plan to be the teacher that all the children remember when they are 40. I want to be the teacher they feel helped mold them into the successul person they become. As an educator, I will always be there to help my students and offer words of encouragement to ensure my students that they can do whatever they set their minds to. When I die, I want to make sure that I have touched and impacted the lives of many children.

Technology in the Classroom

I feel that technology is a fun, innovative way to make the most out of learning. When I went to school, we learned out of a book, and it bored me to death. Now, we have everything from smartboards, to ipads, to webcams. We can use almost any form of technology in our classrooms. I personally will use and teach technology in my class. I find that having a class blog is useful and helps the parents keep up with whats going on in the classroom, no matter what their schedule is. By using a blog, you can post homework assignments, upcoming projects, pictures, work and examples, important dates, pretty much everything! It would be a convenient tool for the busy parents who might not have a flexible schedule to keep in touch with you. The blog would really help that situation as well as finding out what the homework is if you missed it. I will have all this information available on my classroom blog! I think that becuase I am teaching Kindergarten, this would be the only thing they would do online without me. The blog is something they can do at home, where as we can work on projects in class. I would love to have my students create podcasts or even voicethreads. Thanks to EDM 310 I feel more prepared to be a technologically literate teacher!

Attitudes

I feel that in order to be an effective teacher, you need to demonstrate a pleasant attitude. If you are always in a bad mood, and act impatient and bothered all the time, chances are you students and fellow teachers will not want to work with you, or respect you. It is important to maintain a positive attitude. Although we might not always be happy, never let your true emotions show. If you are in a bad mood, you need to leave it at the door! Your students will feed off the negative energy and your classroom won't be a fun place to be. You must always appear happy and ready to teach!

My Teaching Philosophy

I firmly believe that each student should feel safe and welcome in the classroom. I set up a warm, friendly, inviting environment to make the students feel cared for and accepted no matter who they are. I also show each of my students the same respect that I want for myself. I respect them as individuals and value them for who they are. In return, my students respect me. I also value fairness in my classroom. Each student is to be treated equally and I show absolutely no favoritism. Every single student feels equal to their classmates and they know that I care for them all equally. Even if I had a big problem with one of the students or their parents, I would never make them feel as if they were not cared for. My classroom is a team. We all work together and each student is a part of the team and valued individually. If one student is not putting forth effort, our team is broken. I embrace each students creativity. I take each of my student’s ideas and combine them into one great idea. I let them get as creative as they want in order for them to feel valued in my classroom. As an educator, my number one goal is to make an impact on the lives of my students and help them be the best person they can be.