All About Dr. Alisha Anderson

Dr. Alisha Anderson and Teaching Philosophy

•      My aspirations/goal/objective

I am not a teacher because I have to be a teacher. I am a teacher because I want to be a teacher. It is my passion, not my career. My passion is to see my students succeed not only in the classroom, but in the real-world. I aspire to be the teacher that allows the student to find their interest, incorporate their strengths, grow their weaknesses, and expand their minds of science. Along the way, the student will learn the importance of science and connect science to the real-world. By doing this, education becomes a tool that creates the student who is ready for the twenty-first century.

•      My view on methods of teaching

I believe every student has their story and I want to be a positive page in that story. By using IBL, UDL, and Backward Design, I create a biology classroom full of curiosity, collaboration, and communication. My teaching aligns with Piaget’s constructivist approach to education. I want the student to formulate questions and find the answers to those questions. The student builds new knowledge by connecting to old experiences and new experiences. This requires the skills of assimilation and accommodation on the student’s part. It also requires me, the teacher, to be a facilitator in the learning. I create activities that allow the student to inquire about the knowledge. We do experiments, research, visuals, and lots of vocabulary building activities. We utilize technology, collaboration, brainstorming, and questioning to build our database of science knowledge.

•      My view on assessment

Assessment comes in many forms. Benchmark testing allows me to gauge what my students have learned. It allows me to see assess whether my teaching strategies are successful or need to be changed. My thought process is that if one student misses the mark then it might be the student but if the class misses the mark, then it most likely is me. I utilize concept maps, brain dumps, T-charts, thumbs up/down as formative assessments in my lessons. I need to know where my students are and where they are headed in the content so that I can guide them correctly. The learning journal has also become a priority in my planning. The journal allows the student to build their own textbook. Research projects work well because it allows them to not only build research skills but it allows them to connect science to an interest. Many of my students fail to see the need for science so by allowing them to connect science to interest helps me break the barrier of unimportance.

•      My view on relationship

Relationship is key to success in life. A relationship must be built between the students, between the student and the teacher, between the teachers, and between the teachers and administration. Relationship is tied to a sense of belonging. A sense of belonging is tied to feeling comfortable enough to ask questions or to voice a concern. These are tied to calming the amygdala and allowing for learning to occur. Learning depends on a relationship. A relationship encourages a growth mindset. A growth mindset encourages success in the classroom and in life.

•      My view on professional development

As in everything in life, a teacher needs developed. For example, a person does not become a runner just because she puts on a pair of running shoes. A person becomes a runner through training, proper nutrition, and possibly blood, sweat, and tears. A person does not become a teacher by earning a degree. A person becomes a teacher through continued training, proper nutrition, and possibly blood, sweat, and tears. A teacher needs to grow their mindset through professional development that promotes the skills needed to make her successful in the classroom. This could include skills for the twenty-first century, cultural understanding, learning a new strategy or approach, and self-care. This development needs to be with her, with her fellow teachers, and the administration. Education is a massive system that can become a murky mess if collaboration and development are missing.