My kids

 

 

Venessa Smith Brown



 

What do you want to achieve in 1 year from now? Ed.S from the University of Georgia

Would you ever enter a burning building to save someone you dislike? Yes, but I can't say I won't have regrets from time to time.

What is the ultimate sacrifice that you have done, for someone else? Giving up my last bite of choclate cake....I really love that stuff.

If you have 1 million dollars, what would you do with it? Put it in my mattress. Have you seen the stock market lately?

If you have one day left to live, what would you do? Panic. I'd rather not know.

Excerpt from my teaching philosophy:

My Philosophy on Teaching
It is my opinion that each child is an exceptional individual who possesses the ability to bring something special to every classroom.  It was my desire as a math educator to create an ideal environment that was a safe environment that would help students to meet their full potential. An ideal learning environment supports student’s risk-taking, and encourages the exchange of ideas through classroom discourse.  It is my belief that, there are three crucial areas that are favorable to getting such an environment:

  1. The teacher acting as a facilitator in a student-centered classroom.
  2. Allowing the student’s natural curiosity to direct his/her learning.
  3. The teacher promoting students' self-respect and ensuring that the respect is extended to classmates and to all people.

Teacher’s Role

It is my belief that an ideal learning environment possesses a teacher with mostly constructivist views and teaching methods. This approach to teaching is implemented best when the teacher's role is a facilitator. His/her major function then, is providing access to the necessary information required for students to build on prior knowledge rather than being the primary source of information. The students' search for knowledge is met as they learn to find answers to their questions. In order for students to construct and retain knowledge, they need the opportunity to discover ideas for themselves as well as practice necessary skills using real-world situations.  Therefore, teachers must provide students access to quality (constructivist) hands-on activities and allow adequate time and space to use materials that will most definitely reinforce the lesson being studied.....