Welcome to my classroom! I am Mrs. Simpson. This will be my fourth year teaching at York Road Elementary. I am married to a very patient and caring man named Frank. (He must be- I have a lot of energy!) We will be married for four years in December. Although every year is VERY special to me; this year holds an additional, added 'bonus'... I am "looping" to second grade with my first-grade class. What a great learning experience this will be for us all!
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Although I have always enjoyed working with children, my experience* at Woodhaven Child Development Center, teaching two and three-year-olds, provided me with a true understanding of child development. The experience taught me a lot about the needs of young children.
I was also fortunate enough to work with two school-aged children for several years. Watching them grow and learn, not only intellectually, but also emotionally and socially, was a wonderful learning experience for me.
*I taught two and three year olds, for five years, before and during my initial courses at Winthrop; however, I continued to work with a variety of age groups at Woodhaven, for 3 years.
My philosophy of education...
After receiving "Teacher of the Year" at York Road, I realize, after much reflection, I need to update my 'Philosophy of Education'. Although, I continue to hold the beliefs reflected below very close to me, I feel I can now clarify them even more.
The following was written before my recent reflection....
Teaching children is undoubtedly hard work; however, like all careers, it takes a special person to perform each job well. The ability to teach children is, in part, a direct result of one’s own specific beliefs about learning. I believe that all children can learn if given the right balance of instruction, information, but most importantly, patience. It is through this delicate balance that the children of today can become the leaders of tomorrow.
While a culmination of my experiences working with children largely influenced my decision to become a teacher, the greatest factor was my overall love of learning and my ability to foster this in children. I truly enjoy seeing the learning process “in action”. A child’s curiosity about the surrounding world and his or her ability to learn and absorb such a tremendous amount of new information never ceases to amaze me. It is this love of learning and teaching that I look forward to bringing into the classroom each year.
After my reflection...
