Grades 2-3
Jennifer PackJennifer Pack is Wayland Academy's 2nd and 3rd grade teacher. She has been at Wayland Academy since 1994.
My philosophy regarding education centers around the student, thus I choose to convey it through a "child's perspective":
I look forward to walking through the door of my classroom every morning. I am greeted warmly by my teacher with a personal comment. As I look around our classroom, I am welcomed by our central group area surrounded by a vast classroom library, small clusters of desks, a colorful display of visual text, aids, and our current work. All of the materials, resources, and supplies are clearly visible and accessible for my use.
As a student in this classroom, I feel ownership, empowerment, and choice in my learning. I feel supported and respected among my classmates. I am recognized with fairness, encouragement, and constructive feedback. We work together to make our classroom a calm and peaceful one that allows us to concentrate on our work and build a strong community of friends and learners.
My classmates and I feel comfortable in our learning, regardless of our different learning styles and abilities. Each of our styles and needs are recognized through varied instructional levels, whether individualized, paired, small group, or whole group activities. Through thematic units our teacher integrates the curriculum areas, providing us with a sense of cohesion for our reading, writing, math, science, and social studies skills.
As I prepare to leave for the day, my teacher gives me a friendly goodbye and tells the class some of the exciting things we can look forward to tomorrow. My day has come to an end and I am left with meaningful experiences and new learning adventures to begin.
My beliefs concerning education embrace the concept that all students can learn. Students will learn at different paces and in different ways, but they will all learn given an effective teacher. An effective teacher is not only an educator, but a student as well. A teacher must always be willing to entertain new ideas and take "risks" in the classroom. This helps keep education exciting and interesting for the students.
Elementary school is a crucial time to lay the foundation for future academic success. My mission is to provide my students with a structured and intellectually stimulating environment where they feel secure and know their accomplishments are valued.
I strongly believe that children are our most vital resource and that every element of their education should offer them the best possible advantages in order to secure the best possible future.