Teaching Profile

This inventory was designed to gauge teaching preferences and styles. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. Below, there are twelve items, each of which contains four statements about ways you might respond in your teaching, through the way you might behave, think, or feel.

Please rank the statement that best describes your response with a “4”and the least descriptive statement with a “1”. The rankings should be recorded in the space next to the statement.

When I teach my class, I would be most likely to:

1.

___A. Include student’s life experiences or preexisting knowledge when I introduce a concept.

___B. Incorporate reading assignments that provide the background for each concept introduced.

___C. Require students to learn by doing creative problem solving exercises, laboratory activities, and projects.

___D. Engage students in problems that are outside the realm of possibility to force them to think

creatively.

2.

___A. Suggest that students collaborate together on their assignments rather than compete.

___B. Instill the relevant facts and procedures. When students cannot pass the state exam or do not

have the prerequisite knowledge from my class in the next one they take, I have truly failed as a

teacher.

___C. Assign a wide variety of tasks that facilitate learning for understanding. Sometimes learning for understanding takes longer than the administration would like, or longer than I originally planned.

___D. Cultivate scholarship and independent thinking/reasoning skills by providing optional

assignments that can be done outside of class.

3.

___A. Tie concepts to applications in the real world.

___B. Institute a regularly scheduled time for skill building where students practice their use of

problem solving.

___C. Guide students in their desire to invent new methods for solving problems and/or representing

data.

___D. Introduce students to the possibility that for some problems there is no “right answer”.

4.

___A. Challenge students to reevaluate their own understanding by valuing the opinions of other

students.

___B. Supply students with the structure they need to recall and repeat the appropriate facts and

procedures from memory to pass the end-of-unit or end-of-semester test.

___C. Capitalize on student curiosity about unfamiliar situations.

___D. Specify a certain amount of time in class for homework.

5.

___A. Become concerned if I feel as though students are asking the question “Why do I have to learn

this?”

___B. Insist that students follow my lecture, and frequently question them during the lecture as a check of where I am. I may require that they take notes throughout.

___C. Supply time for exploration and discovery where students have the opportunity to answer their

“what if” questions.

___D. Allow students to develop their own problem solution process.

6.

___A. Illuminate students’ misunderstandings by having them describe their thought processes and

explain their ideas.

___B. Provide a relatively complete content structure for students to memorize so that they can build

upon this foundational knowledge later.

___C. Present scenarios involving many concepts that provide material for class discussion about

solutions and predictions.

___D. Devote time to skill drills where each student works alone to deepen their understanding of a

concept.

Education reform...

I have stepped out of the "classroom" some time ago but, I am still very away of how it is painfully obvious that we are in need of an educational revolution in the United States.
NOT all students are receiving what they need to THRIVE in the educational system. Some are behind, some excel, however not ALL have their parents support or the necessary interventions.

Realistically education in a large forum can NEVER be ideal, BECAUSE each child develops sensory/motor skills at a very young age and these developments are often taken for granted because they are basic and develop automatically in the typically developing child. When we teach a student at school, children in whom these skills have not fully developed find learning difficult if not impossible. On a separate note, we will NEVER bring a child TO level by moving SLOWER or bring a child who is ahead further ahead by throwing "extra" work at them.

Through the years, many have tried to reform education from the OUTSIDE. It has not worked. IF you have NEVER been in a classroom, you have NO business attempting to reform the educational system! The point is something new and innovative must take place for education to make real changes.

Public education cannot fix it all; it’s not a one-stop shop. Let’s be honest, students come to school with all kinds of issues, and as a whole we cannot ignore the numbers. Our students in this state are not making the cut. That is why we need an Educational Revolution.



THIS is why I home-school... well A LOT of the reason, but not ALL of it!

BECAUSE of my educational background and my views on the current educational system, my current choice of home-schooling my children is often seen as offensive or judgmental or wrong. The truth is, my reasons for homeschooling are many.

I am a teacher and I pretty good one at that. (on a side note: there are lots of smart and productive people who have never gone to college or are college drop outs -- so the fat that I have several degrees is SORT of irrelevant) While I take pride in being the FIRST and ONLY person in my family to have a college degree it is not the sum and total of me being.
I am NOT a patient person and I WILL roll my eyes when people tell me they could not home-school their children because they lack patience. While I strive NOT to complain, and act completely insane some days when it comes to my kids, as it was a CONSCIENCE DECISION I determinately am not exuding patience. I act nutty! I get frustrated! I SCREAM! I wonder what I am doing with my kids some days and yes even think "the heck with this - sign them up for school".
The thing is, I WAS your child(ren)’s teacher AND I HAD bad days, I WAS nutty, I have even shut the classroom door to scream or left feeling crazy, or lacking patience. AND I AM A GREAT TEACHER.
I know teachers. EVERYONE has friends that are teachers and they are not patient, do-rights EVERY day. In fact some of them don’t even like their job or kids.
BOTTOM line - I am doing what is BEST for my child RIGHT now.
I really do believe there are great schools out there in different communities,but as long as schools are following current trends in education and No Child Left Behind, MY child whether they are in a school with excellent standardized testing scores or poor ones, is getting at best a sub par education geared towards fake learning to pass a test at the end of the day. I WAS THERE! I KNOW!
AND there is SO MUCH wasted time in schools, so much NON-EDUCATIONAL GARBAGE goes on in the morning and the time they get home has absolutely nothing to do with educating our children. In fact schools are being used as a substitute for home and for things that should be taught at home. YES, this has A LOT to do with the break-down of the family structure, so maybe what we really need IS FAMILY REFORM and NOT so much education reform?

I home-school...

I’ve not forgotten the time wasted in the classroom. I’ve not forgotten busy work and worksheets to keep kids quiet and sitting still. I’ve not forgotten the homework and the projects that I feel should be kept at school and not at home if a kid is going to be there for the majority of their day. I’ve not forgotten the boredom or the unreasonable rules.
Our “school-work”, as I call it, exceeds the same amount of time that the children spend on assignments in the classroom each day.

I had children because I am selfish. I stay at home with my children because I am selfish. I home-school my children because I am SELFISH. I WANT to be the one who educates my children, molds their hearts and minds... SO WHAT!?!

Even on my hardest days, when the kids are fighting, the furniture has been written on, and I can’t shower or pee by myself, much clean or WORK, I would rather have my kids here, at home, with me than anywhere else.
I don’t want to miss out special moments, THE MOMENTS I HAD WITH OTHER PEOPLES CHILDREN! (like that gleam in their eye and smile that crosses their face when they realize they can read or understand simple math or the earth rotates around the sun)

Most parents, heck now, only SOME parents are around for their child's firsts, their first smile, steps, and first foods. I don't want to miss ANY firsts! I do not want to give those moments to someone else. No teacher is ever going to care more deeply, about my children’s education and well being than I am.

I want them to get plenty of sleep without being forced out of bed early in the morning to ride the bus or go through a carpool line.
I want to take my kids on vacations whenever I want.
I want my children to have healthy meals.
I want my kids to run around the yard with wooden swords, or using sticks as wands to act – and I want to witness it.
I want my kids to dress up stuffed monkeys and read them books and pretend to teach them geography or even better, pretend to take them off to some far off land while I take pictures when they aren’t looking.
I AM SELFISH!

I NEVER believed homeschooling provides a better education than public or private schools. It can, in certain situations with certain parents and certain students, but across the board this is not true.

Our Story

The decision to homeschool comes about differently for every family. While we knew that our children would never attend public schools, we only toyed with the idea that homeschooling would become a part of our family while our firstborn child, Jonathan, was still an infant.

As a certified teacher, it seemed wrong to us for me to leave him with a sitter in order to go teach (and essentially raise) other people's children. In the short time I was with Jonathan (vacations and snow days and such), he would grow leaps and bounds, but once I returned to work, he would slide backward again. As my hours got longer and my pay did not increase, we decided once my third year within the school system was complete, I was done.

As soon as my first official stay-at-home-mom day came, it was clear that Jonathan was/is brilliant. His language exploded and became quite precise.
As a certified teacher, I had access to the state assessment tests and began testing Jonathan at age two. He tested into kindergarten at 2 1/2 years old and out of kindergarten before age 3. I began to explore our options for schooling in the private sector, but was quickly turned away soly based on his age. Frustrated with the thought of him being completely bored and thus misbehaving after roughly three-years of review, we made an uncommon decision.

Now, we firmly committed to homeschooling each of our children. I teach on a year-to-year basis, never committing to more than one year at a time. Of course, I cannot foresee any reason why any of our children would rejoin the public schools but we'd like to see them enter the private or Montessori sector in the not-so-distant future.

The decision was stressful, the community/extended family back-lash harsh and financially a strain.


My husband and I, just about a year before we were married.

Our little "Bug", Jonathan (Jack), the true adventurer - hands-on eager to learn mentality. A true first born.

Our little "Beana", Katrina (Trina), the constantly moving, girly-girl with no fear, eager to do anything her brother is doing. So easy-going you'd think she was a middle child (no one tell my husband 'wink').


If at any time you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

ONE of THOSE moms....

Okay so I am one of "THOSE MOM'S" ... a home-schooling, diet regulating, recycling & reusing, home-making, schedule-oriented, attachment parenting, coupon shopping mom....
My kids are always dressed in color-coordinated outfits when we take family photographs. Their schedules are more full than mine. They both have team sports and activities YEAR round. I am one of THOSE mom's
I am strict, I set limits and I have high expectations for my children. I do not feed my children junk, or let them watch television. My heart breaks when they cry, regardless of the reason. My children have a chore chart THAT WILL be followed. We praise more than discipline and focus on the positives.
I know that getting dirty is apart of learning, and a dirty child is a happy child. I am one of THOSE MOM'S. My children are my number ONE priority.
I'm also one of THOSE moms who lets my daughter play with dinosaurs, trucks, trains, and all that other 'boy' stuff. And I'd also let my son, if he chooses play with dolls, and wear pink.
I'm one of those moms that made my children's baby food because I didn't want them to eat anything that I wouldn't want to eat myself, and he eats organic where it matters. I am one of "those" moms that only take fresh fruit to my kids parties at school or a friends house.
I am one of those moms who can be seen hugging or kissing the children several times a day, heard whispering "I Love You" in their little ears JUST because. I am one of those moms who thinks her children are brilliant - because they are.
I'm one of those moms who has a messy house during the day, but clean at night.
Who lets their kids run around with milk mustaches, lets the kids run through the sprinkler in their undies, gives their kids vitamins every single day, chases their kids around the house pretending to be a scary monster or makes up silly songs with the kids.
I'm one of those moms whose heart breaks when their child cries, but usually tells them to stand up and "shake if off" or "rub some dirt on it" (as long as there's no blood). I'm one of those, "if you didn't clean your room yet, shut the door before you go out to play" moms. I am one of those, stay up late to get it all done, cook them breakfast so they don't HAVE to eat cereal moms.
I am one of those moms who tries to see both sides before making up my mind.
One of those who hasn't had her hair or nails professionally done in two years because she feels guilty spending money on herself.
But deep down, I'm one of those moms that is doing everything that I can to make my children the first in their generation to be healthy, emotionally secure and intelligent, because to me that is the key to success.