Julie's Class

In my 8 years as a K-2 teacher, I have taught in both public and private schools in Louisiana and California and feel grateful for the wonderful lessons I've learned in each school.

Learning is an active process in which children construct their own learning through multi-sensory experiences that the teacher and the classroom environment provide. The teacher acts as a facilitator of learning who creates an environment where children can make their own discoveries, reflect on them, and discuss their findings and thinking strategies with peers. Teachers ask children questions within their zone of proximal development to promote further discovery and to stimulate their thinking. Ongoing portfolios, projects, and individual conferences in which students discuss thinking strategies are the best assessments for learning. By using these assessment methods, students are required to express reasoning and construct meaning from what they have learned. Learning involves language, therefore, the classroom is a place where peers interact, act as peer teachers, and play educational games that advance their thinking. Learning is contextual, active, social, and requires motivation, so experience-centered learning is an effective method to obtain the criteria needed for learning. With experience-centered learning, information becomes relevant and children are able to make connections to the real world, and practice developing real world problem solving skills and solutions. Children become empowered to be life-long learners. The focus within the learning environment is on the development of the whole child, not only academic learning, but self-esteem and compassion.

I have a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education(Pre-K-3rd) and a Masters in Psychology.