My teaching philosophy is reflected in my Personal Statement and in my Classroom Management Plan:
Personal Statement
by Ruth Ingulsrud
Philosophy:
I believe that a child is a possibility. Every individual possesses gifts and talents of crucial value to the world. If those gifts are not uncovered and encouraged during a child’s elementary years, those possibilities can atrophy and be lost to the world forever. A teacher should be an enabling and inspiring force in a child’s life, helping that child to rise to her or his greatest potential.
Experience:
I have worked as an au-pair with families in Europe, and as a tutor with students of all ages in Japan. I have taken jr. high groups into wilderness areas on extended trips and have worked as a counselor and supervisor at summer camps in South Dakota. My experience in the classroom has honed my behavior management skills while working as a drama teacher with college students in Japan and as a religion teacher at a private school for elementary-aged students.
My responsibilities as Director of Children’s Ministries at a Sacramento church allowed me to work with preschoolers up through sixth grade. I have been in charge of organizing and accompanying groups of upper elementary children on day and weekend trips. Through all of my work experience I have seen how children from every culture and every age group need the same things from the adults who teach them. Children need to feel valued and encouraged as they grow and mature as individuals; they need to have someone believe in them.
Strengths:
Just as each person is unique, each teacher-student relationship is unique as the teacher learns from each student how best to connect with that student and encourage them to rise to their greatest potential. But in every case, a relationship of mutual respect is essential for teaching and learning to occur. I have found that the building of that relationship and the discovery of that child’s most appropriate paths of learning are two of my strengths that will be invaluable to me as a teacher.
I plan on incorporating my gifts as a storyteller, writer and puppeteer into my teaching profession. I have a multi-cultural background, and am fluent in French and conversant in Japanese and Norwegian.
Learning should be exciting and compelling as well as standards-based and sequential. Motivation has a great deal to do with how quickly and deeply knowledge is absorbed and connected to each child’s inner web of previous knowledge and experience. My creativity and flexibility in teaching methods will help me to reach a wide variety of children with different learning intelligences and cultural backgrounds.
Intentions:
I graduated from the teacher preparation program at California State University Sacramento, and I am applying for a teaching job anywhere there is a need for a creative and committed teacher. I am open to teaching any of the grade levels from Kindergarten through sixth grade and am willing to relocate if necessary.
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