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About The Author Reeves Home Learn More Standards Inspiration About the Author |
About the Author
My name is Erica Reeves, and I am a teacher in Napa, CA. I have taught for 15 years in different grades, different states, and for science museums. Teaching has been a driving force within me. It has motivated me, brought me great joy, and given me so much in return. When I or my home life changed, teaching remained the constant in my life. When I brought my first, second and third child into the world, teaching called me back. When I moved to Hawaii and Oregon and then back to California, teaching acclimated me to the new community. And after 15 years, I started to see the need to learn new “tricks,” diversify my teaching skill set, and get up to speed on the technology that all the “cool” teachers were using. So here I am using technology to innovatively teach and teaching new technology to my students, something that I didn’t think I could do.
My Teaching Philosophy
As the teacher, my role is to motivate, encourage, and provide students the safe environment that develops life-long learning. The teacher must act as a facilitator in the class and encourage independent thinking, provide opportunities for problem solving, collaboration and communication amongst the students. I also find it important to note that my responsibilities include bringing to light cultural differences, validating them, and setting an example for students to follow. All of these responsibilities as the teacher, contribute to the climate of the class, the planning and delivery of curriculum, and the rapport built with students.
Students, I believe, are the active participants within class. To be an active participant, the student must ask questions, be inquisitive, interact, and apply themselves daily.. Learning is not through osmosis, and the student must be engaged in the learning process to see one year’s growth in one year’s worth of learning.
The classroom and teacher must present a variety of activities that tap into the many modes of learning. It works best if they can use their 5-sense and can do it, instead of watching. First-hand experiences allow students to build a frame of reference that other concepts can be built on. Above all, learning is best when the student’s basic needs are met. Without his/her basic needs met, a student has low focus and motivation in class, and the school must provide a safe, nurturing environment that can help meet these needs that range from physical, emotional and psychological.
My philosophy of teaching is evolving, as does the world, making me a versatile teacher.
Students, I believe, are the active participants within class. To be an active participant, the student must ask questions, be inquisitive, interact, and apply themselves daily.. Learning is not through osmosis, and the student must be engaged in the learning process to see one year’s growth in one year’s worth of learning.
The classroom and teacher must present a variety of activities that tap into the many modes of learning. It works best if they can use their 5-sense and can do it, instead of watching. First-hand experiences allow students to build a frame of reference that other concepts can be built on. Above all, learning is best when the student’s basic needs are met. Without his/her basic needs met, a student has low focus and motivation in class, and the school must provide a safe, nurturing environment that can help meet these needs that range from physical, emotional and psychological.
My philosophy of teaching is evolving, as does the world, making me a versatile teacher.
Stepping Stones Along The Teaching Journey
I knew that I wanted to teach since I was in the 5th grade. I had Mrs. Douglas, who was the self-proclaimed “The Spider Lady”, and wore a different spider brooch everyday and kept tarantulas in our classroom. She fascinated me. Then I had Mr. Johnson who played guitar and had his son do his rendition of Vanilla Ice for our geometry class. He fascinated me, Mr. Johnson not his son. And these were just a couple of teachers that fascinated me. They taught me well, but they also showed me that my greatest influence on the world is my uniqueness as a person.
So my uniqueness as a person, to make everyday an opportunity for doing something new and fun, has really been my greatest asset as a teacher and my journey in this career shows it. I have taught just about every grade, taught in 3 states, in private and public schools as well as for a science museum. I have subbed. I have tutored. I have been a mentor teacher. I haven’t been in the same grade, class or school for over 20 years like some of my colleagues, but I have had valuable experiences trying new things in teaching.
I have experienced growth and success as a teacher with each new adventure I have taken on. This has carried over into my philosophy of education which is to encourage learners to try new things, to learn through experiences and challenges, and that doing something differently is encouraged, embraced, and celebrated. And maybe the most important part of my philosophy of education is to have fun along the way in all things. It might not be as sophisticated as others’ philosophies, but boiling my philosophy of education down to having fun with new experiences and through challenges make up the foundation of how I do life, teach, and believe education should impart.
So my uniqueness as a person, to make everyday an opportunity for doing something new and fun, has really been my greatest asset as a teacher and my journey in this career shows it. I have taught just about every grade, taught in 3 states, in private and public schools as well as for a science museum. I have subbed. I have tutored. I have been a mentor teacher. I haven’t been in the same grade, class or school for over 20 years like some of my colleagues, but I have had valuable experiences trying new things in teaching.
I have experienced growth and success as a teacher with each new adventure I have taken on. This has carried over into my philosophy of education which is to encourage learners to try new things, to learn through experiences and challenges, and that doing something differently is encouraged, embraced, and celebrated. And maybe the most important part of my philosophy of education is to have fun along the way in all things. It might not be as sophisticated as others’ philosophies, but boiling my philosophy of education down to having fun with new experiences and through challenges make up the foundation of how I do life, teach, and believe education should impart.
Check out my work and journey in this program by clicking on my blog: Innovative Learning with Mrs. Reeves
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning Program
It was sad for me to realize that as a teacher, I had stopped learning technology. I was complacent. And it became blaringly obvious in March 2020 as we went to distance learning. My confidence and competence with using technology, was at best at the "survival" level based on Mandinach and Cline's scale from Classroom Dynamics: Implementing a Technology Based Learning Environment. My technology knowledge was basic, and it only incorporated what my district required for students to use. I didn't have the technology knowledge to know what to incorporate effectively, although my content and pedagogy knowledge was extensive. I couldn't transfer my learning to students, because I wasn't learning technology!
Fast-forward to today, and I am proudly moving on up the confidence and competence scale, somewhere between "mastery" and "impact." Distance learning made me really look at my use and knowledge of technology or lack there of. When I examined and tried to incorporate technology in March 2020, I was spending hours teaching myself technology. I was trying to learn the technology well enough to explain it to my students and their families, transferring my learning, but teaching others takes a deep understanding of the content. It led me to Touro's Innovative Learning in Education Master's Program. If I was spending hours learning technology for my classroom, I should be working alongside other like-minded educators and get some college credit for it. I admit making more money was a factor too! It has given me technology experience, skills, and inspiration that are proving to be instrumental to a rapidly changing world of education.
So as I started a new school year with some technology knowledge budding and developing within me, I created lessons that embedded technology for my use and my students' use. I broadened my knowledge of technology use and programs, so that I can be more effective teaching my students digital citizenship, skills, and transliteracy. I also am learning how technology can make teaching efficient.
Look at me now! I have a TWITTER account, created completely digital lessons and activities in Seesaw, use screen casting for a blended model of teaching and learning, and use technology to increase engagement and collect data on the effectiveness of my teaching. And the collaboration with like-minded educators has been so inspirational and motivating as we dawn this new school year of distance learning. Cohort-19, has set ourselves up for great success as we find that "sweet spot" in the TPACK model with a balanced, effective use of using technology, pedagogy and content knowledge.
Fast-forward to today, and I am proudly moving on up the confidence and competence scale, somewhere between "mastery" and "impact." Distance learning made me really look at my use and knowledge of technology or lack there of. When I examined and tried to incorporate technology in March 2020, I was spending hours teaching myself technology. I was trying to learn the technology well enough to explain it to my students and their families, transferring my learning, but teaching others takes a deep understanding of the content. It led me to Touro's Innovative Learning in Education Master's Program. If I was spending hours learning technology for my classroom, I should be working alongside other like-minded educators and get some college credit for it. I admit making more money was a factor too! It has given me technology experience, skills, and inspiration that are proving to be instrumental to a rapidly changing world of education.
So as I started a new school year with some technology knowledge budding and developing within me, I created lessons that embedded technology for my use and my students' use. I broadened my knowledge of technology use and programs, so that I can be more effective teaching my students digital citizenship, skills, and transliteracy. I also am learning how technology can make teaching efficient.
Look at me now! I have a TWITTER account, created completely digital lessons and activities in Seesaw, use screen casting for a blended model of teaching and learning, and use technology to increase engagement and collect data on the effectiveness of my teaching. And the collaboration with like-minded educators has been so inspirational and motivating as we dawn this new school year of distance learning. Cohort-19, has set ourselves up for great success as we find that "sweet spot" in the TPACK model with a balanced, effective use of using technology, pedagogy and content knowledge.