Christine Merola

Philosophy of Teaching 

I believe children and their parents should experience the ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness that I, as a child educator, use to enhance learning for children.  I encourage a progressive education that centers upon children’s interests and needs.  In my classroom I focus on the child as the learner rather than on the subject.  Furthermore, I emphasize activities and experiences rather than verbal and literary skills.  Moreover, I inspire cooperative group learning activities rather then competitive individualized lesson learning.

The National Goals for Education push for an educated citizenry, whereas the children are expected to reach a higher standard for graduation.  My objective is to prepare the children to become responsible, capable of adapting to a changing world, knowledgeable of its cultural heritage and the world community, and willing to accept and maintain the American leadership position in the next century.  Therefore, a more conservation education theory is also implemented in my classroom.  In as much as back to the basics helps children master basic literary and computational skills, many children do not benefit from organized learning or from textbooks.  Children should be free to develop naturally, their interests should be stimulated by direct experience, the teacher should be a resource person and a guide to learning activities.  My classroom layout is a child-centered environment.  In the various learning centers children are free to experiment, to play, and to express themselves.  Learning takes on a variety of forms, such as problem solving, field trips, artistic expression, and classroom projects.  For the teacher and the children this process is active, exciting, and ever changing.           

As a progressive child educator I incorporate common shared experiences into the curriculum to emphasize our likenesses instead of differences.  I encourage a close cooperation between the school and the home; working together on the development of the entire child.  All children need to develop skills and/or attitudes that enhance good physical fitness, productive work experiences and occupational success, wise consumer behavior, understanding of science and the nature of man, respect for ethical values, appreciation of art, music and literature, and the ability to think rationally and communicate thoughts clearly.  I feel that my greatest contribution to your school will be the critical thinking and problem solving skills, creativity, and cultural literacy that I strive to inspire in each child.