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Waseca Lisa Zika When I graduated from college three decades ago, some advice an educational advisor gave me was this- “Don’t smile until Christmas”. It sounded so negative at the time, and I ignored that bit of wisdom. However, after my first year teaching, I knew exactly what he was trying to tell me. In year two, I spent the month of September teaching routines and procedures in my 5th grade classroom. They didn’t know what I expected in my classroom until I taught them. After the procedures and routines were learned, I could ease up a bit, the students could have lots of fun learning, and the classroom operated as a high functioning learning environment. I am pretty sure I smiled before Susan Topp It could be said that education is one of our most valuable resources. That is a belief that I embrace. It can open the door to limitless possibilities, opportunities, and experiences throughout our lives. I am passionate about learning and view myself as a life-long learner. As an educator, I strive to instill this value of life-long learning in my students. I believe that all students can learn and those that continue to try will never be failures. As a Spanish classroom teacher this was posted prominently in the room: “El que sigue tratando nunca será un fracaso” Thus, my philosophy includes, putting forth your best effort and not being afraid to admit that you don’t know something. I believe in establishing an environment where questioning is valued and the only “dumb” question is the Faribault Pam Kennedy I’ve been at this job, teaching, for a long time. I began before standards, before state and national accountability, before copiers, before OBE, AYP, MAP, and NWEA, before classroom phones, cell phones, computers, and the internet, before google, facebook, twitter, blogs and video games. Yes, for that long I’ve been at it. I’ve taught in rural, urban, and suburban Minnesota. I’ve taught regular ed, mainstream, special ed, preschool, kindergarten, primary, intermediate, middle school and college. I started in the 70’s, survived the 80’s, rejuvenated in the 90’s, was shocked by the 00’s, and am reflecting in the 10’s. In retrospect, I have to admit, the heart of teaching is still the same. Building relationships with students, their families, colleagues, administration, paras, kitchen, custodial and office staff is still the basis of the work. Love your content, love learning, hold high expectations of yourself and your students and believe that you can make a difference. Honor and respect the responsibility and power that your influence, as a teacher, can make on every student. That’s what all the people I have been lucky enough to work alongside have taught me. I have chosen to surround myself with professionals who are positive and value this most important career. I continue to seek experiences that force me to learn and improve. It is a ‘calling’ that requires continual growth; you are never done. Lastly, I do believe, for the most part, that ‘All I Really Need to Know I Christmas. Maybe Thanksgiving? After 33 years of teaching, I think another important part in getting students to succeed in my classroom was in building a strong relationship with each and every one of them. A solid rapport academically, personally, and socially needs to be established. When that happens, students will work hard for themselves and for the teacher. Building this rapport can be started by finding out an interest of each student. In attending one of their athletic events, plays, or concerts, this appearance lets students know that the teacher is interested in them as a person. This relationship cannot be built on sarcasm or by raising voices in the classroom. It is built by showing respect for everyone and being firm, fair, and caring. question not asked. Furthermore, for students and educators alike, it is okay to admit you don’t know something, but that you can and will find out the answer. While modeling and promoting the value of education, teachers must be consistent and fair in the enforcement of rules and procedures in order to help establish an environment where students can learn. This includes not only learning to follow directions, but learning to respect, accept, and embrace each other’s unique qualities. This appreciation of individual characteristics will require teachers to be willing to regularly monitor and adjust lessons to meet their students’ individual needs and help provide a learning environment that values everyone. The diversity that makes up our world today is part of what makes life so fascinating and special and strong educational background can help us to see that. Learned in Kindergarten’ as Robert Fulghum wrote in 1985 is the best advice: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life-learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup-they all die. So do we. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned-the biggest word of all- LOOK. 24 http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/
Teaching Fellows ? ? Describe your philosophy of education and/or teaching. What do you believe is important in being an effective educator? Le Sueur-Henderson Karissa Kramer My name is Karissa Kramer, and I am originally from Sleepy Eye, MN. I am now a couple months into my first year of being a real teacher! So many thoughts have run through my mind when I think of describing my experience. I can’t even count how many times I have thought to myself “Wow! I am actually the one responsible for these students and their education!” It is a great feeling and it really makes all those college courses and hours of clinical experiences and student teaching worthwhile. Seeing my 1st Grade students reading on their own, or discovering a new strategy to use when solving a subtraction problem is so much fun. Not only have I helped my students learn so many things so far this school year, but the students have also taught Mike Sindahl My name is Mike Sindahl and I am a first year business teacher at Le Sueur-Henderson Middle and High School. Last May I was informed about Teaching Fellow positions available through Minnesota State University, Mankato. I fortunately have the opportunity to be a part of this Teaching Fellowship Program this year. As a new teacher I have MUCH to learn, but thankfully I have a great support system here at Le Sueur- Henderson to help me. Two years ago my teaching philosophy involved student motivation, which would engage learning. Although I still believe that inspiring students is an important part of our duties as educators, it is a means to an end. So far this year my goal has been to provide every student with the opportunity to excel in Winter 2012 Partnership me so much. Seeing the unique abilities and needs of each individual student is a reminder each day to teach to each student individually and not just to a group of children. I often think back to my education starting back when I was a four-year-old going to pre-school for the first time. I can definitely remember all the teachers I had, whether they were my favorite or not. The ones I have the best memories of are those who always put their students’ education first and made learning fun as well as challenging. I strive to be that kind of teacher and my goal is to be one of those teachers my students look back on in the future and say I had a positive impact on their lives. I would like to thank everyone who has influenced my journey in education up through this remarkable first year. The experience is beyond amazing. my content through providing differentiated instruction and assessments. All students do not see the relevance of the content I teach, but through differentiating my instruction I can provide the opportunity for each student to excel. At this point in my career I cannot provide any further details to my teaching philosophy because I am learning new things about teaching daily. Student behavior, differentiation techniques, educational technology, and daily life in a school building are just a few of the overwhelming number of lessons I have been learning and will continue to learn in my career. Even though I cannot provide a full teaching philosophy I can provide a learning philosophy. In any career, especially teaching, one can never stop learning. Returning TOSA’s with new Graduate Teaching Fellow, Aug 2011 Kelly Rand, Waseca Fellow Lisa Zika, Waseca TOSA Kirsten Hutchinson, Faribault TOSA Sue Topp, Waseca TOSA 25
Page 1 and 2: artnership PCENTER FOR SCHOOL-UNIVE
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS Winter 2012 Partn
Page 5 and 6: Note From the Editor Ben Pendarvis
Page 7 and 8: Heather Verstraete, Bloomington TOS
Page 9 and 10: of the Leadership Institute, which
Page 11 and 12: How has AVID impacted your school,
Page 13 and 14: ng Deeper and Wider Pipeline #2 - P
Page 15 and 16: QUT students and exchange program f
Page 17 and 18: After the last full school year of
Page 19 and 20: Marti Sievek can speak to the posit
Page 21 and 22: 7th Annual Fall Play Therapy Confer
Page 23 and 24: Innovative Program Targets Coaching
Page 25: if a student can make one strong co
Page 29 and 30: Jenna Haala Graduate Program: Maste
Page 31 and 32: New Systems for Working Together Th

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