What Are My Beliefs?

"There are lots of "somebody elses" who would certainly like to!  They'll even package it up pretty and tell us just what to say.  But for all their pomp, it's hard to imagine the circumstance where prepackaged programs and scripts teach children better than we do." -Debbie Miller
Debbie Miller is a huge advocate for literacy and learning but she is also an advocate for teachers taking the time to write down and put into motion their beliefs and practices they hold in the classroom.  Taking the time to reflect upon what my beliefs are was a difficult thing for me to do, however, Debbie Miller's quote made me want to stand up for myself and stand up against all those "somebody's" and establish my own beliefs.  Some core beliefs that I have are: classroom environments are most effective when they are welcoming/inviting and student driven, cross-curricular teaching must be a practice in mine and every other teachers classroom, and "I believe in the power of collaborative classroom communities where everyone's ideas are valued and respected.".  Classroom environments are crucial for students to have the ability to learn.  If a student does not feel welcomed or apart of the classroom I firmly believe that very little to no learning can be done.  I find it nearly impossible (if not completely impossible) for a teacher to avoid cross-curricular teaching.  Every subject that we teach can be used to teach another subject.  Period.  Collaborative classrooms are becoming more and more prominent with the way that teaching is changing.  Debbie Miller talks about a time when she was looking for her students to give her, her answer, when she realized that she wasn't listening to her students answers.  The classroom needs to be a place where student-to-teacher and student-to-student  discussions can be had and everyone's voices are heard.  As I grow as a student, teacher, and individual my beliefs and practices I am sure are to change, but "to clearly articulate my beliefs about teaching and learning, cite the supporting research, and speak to its application in the classroom", will guide me.
"Real life isn't scripted.  Neither is real teaching." -Debbie Miller