Tiffany has a balanced, yet practical approached to teaching - utilizing projects, hands-on activities, technology, group collaboration, and joyous competition. She's noticed that children (and adults) tend to retain material that has real world applications and sparks their interest. Therefore, Tiffany works hard to make every project, activity, and lesson enjoyable and relatable to the students' real (or imaginary) world. Activity examples coming soon!
Why I teach
Children are our future. I see in them the great potential that this world has yet to bring to fruition. It is my duty to nourish, prepare, and mentor these young beings to reach their most positive potential in contributing to and creating a harmonious, an innovative, and a globally collaborative world.
I am a child at heart - she shines through all of the time - and I love being a student. These qualities guide my teaching. Every child wants to play, discover, and innovate, even if they don’t know these are the words for their desires. I love to encourage that growth, to be silly with them to stimulate creative energy, and witness the “aha” moments of their great discoveries. There is so much joy to be had for the success and growth of others, as well as ourselves.
This world needs our help and as a human it is our responsibility to create a sustainable living for ourselves rather than act as the destroyers of this world. I encourage children to let their kind hearts shine through and to use their innovative powers for the true good they wish to do for this world. I believe that when children’s true feelings of love for life on earth are nourished, they will continue to do what is best for all living creatures.
My responsibilities as a teacher
Challenges are a constant part of life that we must work hard to overcome. They are not something negative or to be feared, they are opportunities for growth and for proving that we are capable of so much more than we realize. It is my responsibility as a teacher to provide academic challenges to students, to shine a positive light on these difficult moments, and to tag along for the journey, offering up guidance and reflection as needed, but also knowing when to let the student strive for a solution to make the final product that much sweeter.
I am a protector of children. That means I am here to ensure my students always have a friend to talk to about difficult times in life and a resource for getting help. I take notice of my students’ behaviors and their feelings. I will never disregard the fact that people have difficult days. When a child needs help, I am there.
Every individual learns, behaves, and thinks differently than the person next to him/her and to the person teaching him/her. This provides teacher with a puzzle to figure out - it’s a good thing I love problem solving! It is my job as a teacher to research, to experiment, and to discover the best forms of teaching for my students so that each and every one of them can experience the wonder and joy of those “aha” moments.
How I continue to learn as a life-long student
One can never know everything! Learning is a life-long endeavor and I make sure to always keep that in mind. I continuously strive to better myself and deepen my knowledge in various subjects. If a student asks me something I do not know, I do not pretend to know it. Instead, I make it a chance to explore this unknown together, or, if the student knows about the topic in question, I ask them to teach me!
Traveling is my favorite form of education. There is so much to learn by working through language barriers, getting lost in an unknown city, asking for help, and witnessing events and cultures first hand. As a global citizen, it is my responsibility to explore the world, share what I’ve discovered, and to encourage my students to do the same.
An important part of being a global citizen is to develop the skills necessary to work with an assortment of people, improving upon one’s communication abilities and finding value in out-of-the-box or different thinking.