"Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world"-Nelson Mandela
Hello! Thank you for visiting Room 134's web page.!! Hi! My name is Erika Koch! I am excited to be teaching your child in fourth grade this year. We have a great year planned and your child will grow as learner. This year, we will be working very hard preparing for the Smarter Balance assessments which we will be taking in the spring. I look forward to meeting with you and building a home-school connection. Success is a group effort and we all need to do our part to promote it. Let’s work together so that we all have a successful school year!!! My Teaching philosophy is that children learn best in an environment that is safe and positive. Students need to feel free to take risks while learning. Therefore, it is imperative that the teacher’s role is to create a learning environment that is free from negativity and to exhibit concern for all students. The teacher should promote the social, emotional and academic well being of the students, and nurture the students’ self-esteem. It is also important for the teacher to assess and use reflection in order to monitor and adjust teaching strategies to meet the needs of his or her students. Teachers must encourage students to be creative. They need to be innovative and differentiate instruction in order to meet the needs of all students. Being flexible in all aspects of the role as educator is essential. Teachers also need to be enthusiastic about what they are teaching. Showing excitement conveys a positive message to the students, and they, too, will be eager to learn. Further, I believe it is important to engage all students in the learning process. Interests matters. When a new concept is related to something in a student’s life, he/she tends to stay on task. The classroom must be a nurturing environment, which fosters the importance of respect, responsibility and recognizes each individual’s right to learn. When students enjoy school and learning, it creates a strong foundation for them to become life long learners.