Teaching Philosophy

My name is Christina Monaco, and I was born to become an educator. I hold a strong belief that students need to find value in their education beyond the ability to help promote a strong national economy, or to be accepted into a prestigious post-secondary institution. If these are the only “gods of education”, as Neil Postman coined, that we allot our students, they may never take responsibility for their growth as individuals, nor find personal value in their education. My hope is that when my students leave my classroom, they will see education as a tool towards success and growth, beyond the institutional level.

As an educator, I see myself as an Existentialist in the way that I believe each student has their own way of learning and processing information, and that students should not be measured or monitored with a “one-size fits all” mentality. While lecturing and note-taking may work for some, visual-aids might be necessary for other students. With this in mind, I will always do my best to teach with a variety of tools and examples, so that all of my students have equal access to their education. I think it is similarly important to give my students options to showcase their summative knowledge, and while holding them to equal standards, I will give them a variety of options in which they could be assessed. I also see myself as a very Progressive and Radical educator. I think it is most beneficial for students to interact with each other and their communities throughout their learning, so that they can immediately see the correlations, and understand why it is important to be an educated citizen of the world. In this, I will always push my students to question what they hear and what they read, and offer primary sources to allow them to make their own informed opinions about the subject matters we cover together in class, especially when reading canonized literature.

I plan to establish a community in my classroom wherein every student feels safe and significant. I value communication skills: I want to ensure that my students are respectful citizens who listen intently when others are expressing their ideas, and who feel able to share their own ideas. I would love to have my student’s desks face each other every day, so that no one’s back is turned toward a speaker. I plan on joining my students in their discussion circles, and while monitoring and progressing conversations forward, really allowing my students to be in charge of what is being discussed based on what they see as important and valuable. I want my students to understand that they are in charge of their education, and that their opinions on topics as well as on their own education and learning are respected and will be taken seriously. It is also important that my students see, understand, and are able to reflect on their individual learning and growth. At the beginning of each year, I will ask my students to fill out K-W-L charts so that I can assess what they already know, what they want to know, and eventually what they have learned. I will ask my students to create growth-portfolios throughout the year in order to monitor their own progress, and in order for them to see the transformation within themselves and their own individual learning. These growth portfolios will be a productive way for the student and me to communicate to each other about their individual progress as a learner, and in what ways we can work together to further their personal and academic success.

I have an immense passion to help students become engaged, active citizens who treasure themselves as individuals and as learners, and who appreciate being educated. I hope that my students will value their academic success beyond being accepted into a well-known college or obtaining a well-paying job, and instead, see it as something that is transformative, rewarding, and worth pursuing for the rest of their lives.