Phil Ed

Teresa R.
Franks
(901) 729-4306 (901) 409-5829 teresafranks@mindspring.com
MY MISSION STATEMENT
I will provide a supportive environment that promotes excellence in learning, self-discipline, motivation, and respect. My goal is for my students to become masters of their own learning; to know their potential and seek to maximize it; and to demonstrate respect and tolerance for themselves and for others.
Platform and Educational Philosophy

Commitment to Learners
As a teacher, I strive to: a) develop and maintain professional relationships with learners based on their best interests b) base my professional practice on the best knowledge available about teaching, along with the deep, specific knowledge about my students c) present subject matter from an informed and balanced perspective d) encourage learners to think critically about important social issues e) differentiate content, delivery, materials, and assessments for the varied learning needs of diverse learners f) promote the physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual wellbeing of learners g) plan for the best possible outcome for each of my students Showing my own commitment can be critical to motivating my students if they see me as caring and putting forth effort, then they will do so.
Role of the Teacher in Instruction

I reject the traditional role of the teacher as the fount of wisdom. I believe the role of the teacher is one of director, mentor, and coach. o o o Director - The teacher plans and supports activities that allow students to build on what they know, and make connections with new learning. Mentor - As a mentor, the teacher serves as a model for academics, civics, morals, and character. Coach - By supporting and developing students learning, the teacher acts as a coach.
Role of Technology
The native tongue of todays middle school student is digital. They interact with the world, their friends, their communities, and themselves through digital media. I believe the opportunities that technology can provide - to enlarge the world or to shrink it are unmatched. I believe that students need to consume, explore, evaluate, and create knowledge via technology. Furthermore, technology can provide a motivation for many students.
Role of the Learner in the Classroom

I believe in a student-centered classroom. This changes the role of the learner from passive receptors of knowledge to active, responsible participants in their own learning. I want to hear their thinking and their opinions. I want to see and hear the learning take place. The role of the learner in the classroom evolves as the student progresses from a preschooler to elementary school to middle school and beyond. In middle school, the student can begin to take more responsibility for his/her learning. S/he can set goals, design learning tasks, and monitor and assess her own learning. This is the gradual release of responsibility model.
View my portfolio and website at: http://www.mrsfranks.com
Teresa R. Franks
(901) 729-4306
Nature and Substance of Student Work
I believe that student work must be productive, engaging and relevant. I believe that rote work and worksheets have their place and can be effective teaching tools; however, an over-reliance on these creates student work that is passive, uniform and unconnected to their lives.
(901) 409-5829
teresafranks@mindspring.com
Role and Mission of the Curriculum

The curriculum and the teacher have a symbiotic relationship. Both teacher and curriculum bring important contributions to this partnership that the other cannot do well. Curriculum development is an endeavor that requires many people and resources. But only the teacher is there in the classroom, observing and trying to understand her students' thinking. Individual teachers must continually assess and modify their curriculum for their own classroom. Thus, curriculum is not a recipe or a compendium of what "should" be taught at a particular grade level. Rather, it provides both a coherent program for students, based on the best thinking available in the field, and material that supports teachers in making better, more thoughtful, more informed decisions about their students' learning.
The Learning Environment

First and foremost, I believe that the learning environment must be safe - physically, emotionally, and socially. I believe that the learning environment should provide rich resources for the development of my students' academic, social, spiritual, and emotional well-being. Finally, the learning environment should highlight and celebrate the students' work and success.
The Classroom Community

A community is a group of people who work together to create a place of trust, care, and support. In my classroom, I seek to provide opportunities and structures by which the students can become a helpful and supportive community. Some ways I aim to bolster the community-building in my classroom include: offering student voice and choice, promoting respect and tolerance, modeling cooperative problem-solving, and providing multiple student leadership opportunities.
The Value of Diversity in Schools and Classrooms

I value all diversity: racial, gender, socioeconomic, ability, religion, background, and others not yet known or imagined. Exposure to and interaction with those of differing experiences and perspectives is a critical component of education, that will prepare and empower our students for maximized participation in a multicultural, global future.
Diverse Needs of Individual Learners

I believe that all children can learn; moreover, I believe that all children want to learn. In my classroom and professional practice, I work to address all the physical, emotional, and mental factors that may affect learning and adapt my instruction and teaching style to best serve each child's needs at that particular time.
Educational Equity and the Achievement Gap

I believe this is the most significant civil rights issue for this era. I believe that it takes an "all hands on" approach to mitigate these factors and to achieve positive outcomes for our students. The deep involvement and commitment of teachers, administrators, parents, community, and lawmakers is imperative.
Teresa R. Franks
(901) 729-4306
Service Role of the Teacher
I believe: Teachers should serve their communities with their strengths and talents, their voices, and their time. Teachers should be role models for their students in moral living, civic engagement, charity, compassion, and dedication.
(901) 409-5829
teresafranks@mindspring.com
Philosophy of Education
Two years after I first drafted a formal Philosophy of Education statement, my position is unchanged: that no single educational philosophy can fully resolve for me all the fundamental questions - the purpose of schooling, the treatment of students, the role of the teacher, and what knowledge is of most worth (and who should decide that)? I have focused much of my research on the two most common philosophies in modern American public education - Progressivism and Essentialism. The tension between the two philosophies has never been more evident, as the political climate and the federal government support Essentialism, while much of the public sentiment and professional practice is aligned with Progressivism. My philosophy could be called "Progressentialism". I believe that Progressivism can provide the "how" while Essentialism, can supply the "what". I believe that Progressivism provides the best supported view of the teacher's role in learning and education, that of a guide and motivator. I believe Essentialism fits the constructivist nature of learning. As the Essentialism philosophy gains momentum through the national adoption of Core Knowledge curriculum, I believe that it will need to be tempered with the care for students' social and civic development that is the cornerstone of Progressivism.

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Phil Ed

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Teresa R.

Platform and Educational Philosophy

Role of the Teacher in Instruction

Role of the Learner in the Classroom

View my portfolio and website at: http://www.mrsfranks.com

Role and Mission of the Curriculum

The Learning Environment

The Classroom Community

The Value of Diversity in Schools and Classrooms

Diverse Needs of Individual Learners

Educational Equity and the Achievement Gap

View my portfolio and website at: http://www.mrsfranks.com

View my portfolio and website at: http://www.mrsfranks.com

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