Ms. Whitted’s Teaching Philosophy
My name is Yolanda R. Whitted and my greatest goal and passion is to leave a legacy of learners who understand who they are in this world as well as their ability to teach nations. I believe and tell my students that they are not inept and that their past experiences are not an excuse to be mediocre; rather, their turmoil is tied to their contribution to society.
I believe that our students should learn Standard American English while staying true to their own culturally significant uniqueness. Through teaching the importance of code-switching, my students learn the importance of speaking to a vast audience while also being true to who they are.
I believe in challenging my students to operate on an accelerated level; therefore, all of my classes are taught with the same rigor of an AP-level class.
I believe in taking the time to understand the needs of my students; therefore, I make clear expectations and remain consistent about both improving and maintaining my efficacy by assigning consistent classroom work (that is accelerated and meaningful), employing consistent classroom management in and effort to maintain a high-level of instructional integrity, and assisting struggling students both in the classroom and during tutoring. In fact, I take the time to grade, disaggregate data and differentiate instruction each day an assessment is provided which improve classroom management as well as student engagement.
Lastly, I believe that each student deserves the same level of respect and praise that I feel is needful for me to continue to remain confident in my craft. Therefore, I implement several strategies daily to reinforce the need as well as the expectations for a high level of respect and camaraderie amongst each member in my classroom.
In the end, all students are important to me. I believe all students can and will learn at different levels and I create a classroom environment that encourages the burgeon of each student producing students who are cogent paragons of educational wisdom as well as cosmopolitan members of society.