Lindsey Kappen
Science Teacher
Student Advocate
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is one of the toughest and most exhausting careers you can enter. It is also the one of the most necessary and rewarding careers. This is why I went into teaching. I entered the education field because I wanted to make a difference in others’ lives. I wanted to provide students a compassionate and caring role-model in a warm and welcoming environment. I wanted to provide hopeless individuals with hope. I wanted to ensure every student knows what success feels like. To ensure I deliver these things to my students I have developed several beliefs that I have established my teaching practices around.
I believe that every student has the ability to be successful.
I know that success looks different for every student. I know that every student comes to my class with a different set of skills and abilities. Because I know these things, I also know that I can help every single student that walks through my door be successful in some way. It is my responsibility as an educator to learn about each of my students as an individual to gain a better understanding of where they are coming from, and where they are going. I know that success isn't measured the same for every student. Through the creation of deep personal relationships I will ensure my students see success.
I believe that every student learns differently.
I know my students don’t all fit into the exact same cookie cutter shaped education. I know that my students are more like a hundred different shaped puzzle pieces that come together to form one big picture. Because I know this, I also know that I have an end goal for all my students, but the way I reach that goal is comprised of multiple different approaches. It is my responsibility as an educator to discover the various learning styles of my students and tailor my teaching approaches to these styles to ensure all my students are learning. As a teacher, I know that it is also my responsibly to relentlessly differentiate my teaching approaches to be well-rounded and inclusive of all my students learning styles.
I believe that every student deserves an engaging education.
I know that lecturing from behind a PowerPoint on the computer is not educating. I know that educating is engaging students in material. Because I know this, I also know that I must engage my students in their coursework through hands-on experiences. It is my responsibility to provide my students as many opportunities as possible to interact with real things, not just words on a screen. As a science teacher, I know this is imperative to the understanding of difficult concepts like anatomy of a cell and mitosis. I strive to provide my students multiple opportunities to engage with content through models, dancing, singing, group projects, debates and more.
I believe that education is more than teaching content.
I know that I want my students to build life-long skills in my class. I know that there is more to education than understanding who, what, when, where and why. Because I know this, I also know my job is more than teaching content. It is my responsibility to teach my students skills they can take with them into the real world. I strive to implant in my students a passion for learning. I am always working to show my students that learning is fun and learning opens the doors to so much more than they imagine. One of my biggest goals for my students is that they develop a curiosity towards life. In addition to this, I aim to teach my students time management, leadership, conflict resolution and team work. These are skills I know will set them up for success well beyond their years of formal education.
I believe in growth for everyone.
I know that my students can grow as individuals. I know that I can grow as an individual. Because I know this, I also know that my students are not the only ones developing in my classroom. I believe it is imperative that I learn and develop myself as a teacher and individual based on experiences in my classroom. Educators are models for their students, to be a good model for learning, I need to continue to grow with my students. Teaching is a dynamic career that is constantly evolving. Because of this I need to be active in my growth and make sure I am not confining myself to a static learning curve. It is my hope that everyone, not just the students, who walk through my classroom door leaves having grown at least a little.
“The future of the world is in my classroom today”
-Ivan Welton Fitzwater