Sally Paz y Miño Wilson
I am a: Teacher, Tyler Heights Elementary School | 2017 Teacher of the Year Finalist
My experience has led me to hold four elements sacred in my classroom. In my classroom, high expectations, engaging & differentiated instruction, parent involvement, and a culture of student dignity & value are apparent values. I maintain high expectations for my students at all times. High expectations send the message to students that they can and will achieve. Students will eventually begin to internalize these messages, and rise to the standard. Whatever the strategy that a teacher uses to engage students, she will experience that increased engagement results in increased mastery. Throughout my years of teaching, I have experimented with many methods of engaging students. I love to use technology and inquiry to engage my students. I incorporate Whole Brain Teaching strategies into my classroom to infuse excitement and fun into learning. I am to include relevant examples that help students to make connections beyond the classroom. I connect subject matter to future implications. I believe that all students benefit from differentiation so they can both be challenged and experience success daily. My belief that parent involvement is a huge key to success is apparent in my classroom. I involve families as much as possible in what is being learned through daily communication, as well as home/school connection events that I hold in my classroom, such as writing showcase celebrations. The last major element is a culture of student dignity and value. I believe that students flourish when they know that they are valued. My classroom is a place where students feel important and cared for because of the way that adults in my classroom speak with them. Children in turn speak to one another and adults with that same respect. In this type of environment, students are free to take academic risks without fear of failure, because of the established culture. These four elements are revered in my classroom above all else. Through them, I am able to meet student needs in all domains.
