My Teaching Philosophy

My approach to teaching has been heavily guided by my experiences operating and teaching in makerspaces in Philadelphia. I have been a heavy proponent of the idea of the “maker mindset” and in my work create safe spaces for experimentation, tinkering, and failure. My overarching goal is to instill different perspectives towards problem solving which open up project possibilities, allow learners to asses solutions, stress iteration, and allow learners to actively inventory the tools and resources at their disposal. I wish to guide youth to succeed by harnessing their abilities and giving them tools to grow with mentally, physically, and digitally. I am a mentor and role model for my students and as so am a advocate for their academic pursuits, open to their thoughts and views, and a cheerleader for their extracurricular pursuits. I recognize that I am actively developing both present and future communities and a stakeholder in the development of my students as they become lifelong learners. I view my learners as dynamic 21st Century individuals who are growing into a variety of situations and positions in the world. As such they’re to be engaged, challenged, allowed to learn from failure, and given chances to succeed. I see project based learning and the use of technology for learning as ways of creating community, building relationships, and allowing learners to engage through their own curiosities, thinking, and creativity. With a clean workshop and a fresh mind anything is possible.