Mr. Matthew Paulsen

           In my classroom I will be a performer of many styles.  The students will be the audience, the classroom will be the theater.  The parents will be the critics, the administration will be the producer (and critic), and my curriculum will be the script.  The politicians will be the nemesis of the script.  I will have different performances given the different scripts.  I will be a comedian, counselor, role model, silly friend, disciplinarian (hopefully rarely), and confidant.  I will be able to perform as needed in whatever faucet is warranted.  I am a man of many faces and  will be able to perform those faces as needed for all children of all cultures and sex.  I will not only connect with these children on an academic level, but on a relatable personal level performing my best.

            Students learn on an individual basis and it will be my job to get know these children and how each one learns; adapting my teaching style to each one.  Some students may need written rules and expectations taped on their desk, while other students may be shy and not want to be called on in a large group, but may thrive in small groups or with a partner.  I must know that calling a child out in front of a large group, or being sarcastic (even in a funny way) may be seriously detrimental to the child's growth.  I see myself using a style of instruction that is calm, understanding, and forgiving, but at the same time, demanding and firm (in a fun way) requiring higher level thinking whenever possible.  I will always have a smile on face and will be easy to approach about any concern the child may have.  I will use many projects and activities to allow for a fun learning environment.  I want my students to be learning without them realizing that they are learning.

            I see myself using Piaget's Stages of Development and the Real Colors theory as a base to my pedagogy.  As I stated previously, both of theories are critical in understanding how, when and why a child learns.  It will be imperative that I and able to see the transitioning from the pre operational stage to the concrete operations as I will be able to encourage the child to think at a higher level as they will gain a better understanding of conservation, reversibility, decentration, classification, seriation and spatial reasoning.  If a student is not being challenged to think at the next stage, they will not be learning.  There must be an ebb and flow to the learning however.  I cannot expect the world from them and cannot teach them beyond their ability; that is when learning becomes frustrating and not fun.  Using my knowledge of Real Colors, I will be able to understand what kind of child I am dealing with.  Are they very emotional, reactive, talkative, shy, etc.?  Knowing what kind of student they are and their tendencies will give me the upper hand in knowing how to conform my strategies to the needs of the children.

            I will have a diverse classroom with many different cultural, SES, and family backgrounds and experiences.  With these different backgrounds comes different learning styles.  For more information for diverse backgrounds and Special Education see this link Special Education.  Some children may come to school being encouraged to question authority, while others come and are taught to conform to what the teacher tells them to do.  There will be students who come late to school with unfinished work and/or no school supplies.  There will be children who come to school hungry and walk to school without a jacket in the winter.  It will be necessary for me not to punish these kids, rather gain an understanding of the family atmosphere or background they come from and help them however I need to.  Every student will have their own influence on the classroom atmosphere.  It is my job to create a safe environment.  I will teach the students that every family is different in their own way and one family is not better then another- that it is important to know that just because someone may not dress like they do, eat what they eat or even have the same interests in general, does not make them better or worse than the other.

           My classroom learning environment is bright, colorful, spacious, and not too busy or cluttered.  I will change the mode of the classroom as projects are continuously done and the seasons change.  Students will not be afraid to be themselves as they will have a sense of safety, encouraged to be creative and imaginative, and will be able to state any concerns they have, either anonymously in the concern box or to the class.  I will set aside time during the week to discuss any questions, concerns, or problems they may have which can be discussed individually or as a class.  I will do my due diligence in researching the different cultural backgrounds, and do my best to get to know each and every family.  I will also have lunch with two students a day, if they want, to get to know them, and have them get to know me a little better until I have had lunch with the whole class.  Students learn best when they feel safe and comfortable in the classroom.    They will trust that I know what will make them a better student and person.

            I want to be the type of teacher that my students respect, trust, look up to, remember, and feel safe when I am around.  I want them to know that I want the best for them, both in the classroom and in the community.  I hope they remember me as their most favorite teacher where they look back on and think to themselves, "I had so much fun in Mr. Paulsen's class.  I learned so much and didn't even know that I was learning."  I want to be the teacher that other teachers look to for strategies, lessons and activity ideas.  I want to be the teacher that is willing to try new things and willing to accept being wrong, but learn from those mistakes.  I want the community to know who I am and hopes that their child gets in my class.  Overall, I want to be the best teacher that I can be, and I think that I can be one of the best.