Thank you for taking the time to consider my application for the Principal position at Holy Spirit Catholic School. It excites me to learn about the current opening from my father and mother-in-law, Michael and Lynn Paul, who are parishioners at Holy Spirit. In visiting Holy Spirit over the last three years, the growth of the school has stunned me. The physical building was not the sole thing that impressed me, but meeting families from the school and reading the school webpage revealed a deeper beauty that the school possesses. Maintaining a strong Catholic identity while providing a rich program of formation equips students for their future academic challenges and enables the students to strive for their full potential by becoming …show more content…
In subtle ways, such as instructing students on entering the classroom, and in explicit ways, such as explaining why it is honorable to be patient and humble during class discussions, I intentionally attempt to nurture the moral formation of the students. In addition to the cultivation of virtue, promoting an academic sense of wonder is an indispensable element of authentic education. From a young age, children desire to know. This childlike sense of wonder, expressed through the child’s desire for knowledge, needs to be deliberately fostered and encouraged by the teacher. In my lessons and in my mentoring of teachers, I focus on the engagement the students in thoughtful discussion, which stimulates their active participation and intellectual inquiry. Each lesson is designed not only to convey the material that needs to be covered, but also to encourage the students to ask deeper questions about the material. Having taught English, History, Philosophy, and Theology to students ranging from sixth to twelfth grade, I have had the privilege of working with a diversity of students. Teaching such a diversity of students has improved my ability to meet the needs of each student. Throughout my time at Veritas, I have endeavored to promote the cultivation of virtue and an academic sense of wonder in all my students.
Teaching is a unique privilege that enables the teacher to assist the
As teacher’s we are committing to a life time of learning and development of ourselves and our learners.
This interview was conducted with Wes Jensen the current principal of Mountain View Middle School. He has been the principal at his current school for two years, and was vice principal of the Blackfoot High School for two years. Before he became an administrator he was a classroom teacher for seven years, giving him 11 years of experience in education. The school has a very diverse population comprised of many different ethnicities including Native American, Hispanic, and Caucasian. The economic situations range from wealthy to highly impoverished. As the principal of this school he is a very professional man who holds high expectations for his staff.
At first, she claims, she was only “a little mass of possibilities,” but her teacher brought light into her life (1). Her teacher, from the very beginning, was more than just an instructor. She was a positive influence and an inspiration. She taught Keller to communicate and understand the world around her, even though she could not see or hear it. She did not force Keller’s mind to learn; she simply guided it, nourishing it with knowledge at the right moments (7-8). In this way, her teacher made learning enjoyable for Keller by ensuring she did not think of it as an obligation, but as an experience. This goes along with Keller’s belief that a student “will not work joyously unless he feels that liberty is his” (16). A student who feels that she has the power to make her own decisions will enjoy her schooling more than one who feels as if the power is out of her hands. The relationship between Keller and her teacher had a profound impact on the way Keller learned and later lived her life. Even once her school days had passed, she still felt the effects of her teacher’s instruction every day. She even went so far as to say that she felt her teacher’s being was “inseparable” from her own (22). Keller’s unusually intimate connection with her teacher offered a unique perspective on the topic of teacher-student relationships.
“Learners will develop the values, commitments, and ethics that positively impact the educational community as well as the educator’s own professional growth.” (COE-GCU Framework, 2010).
I interviewed Julie Holt, Principal of Monticello Elementary School (MES). MES has 16 teachers, and 247 kids grades K-6. The school classified employees include: 4 kitchen staff, 2 custodians, 5 reading and math interventionist support, 1 library media teacher, 2 computer teachers, and 2 office assistants. Six of the sixteen teachers has less than ten years’ experience.
One of the goals of education is to motivate and engage our students in learning, even the things that are difficult for them. This paper addresses the hopes and challenges of teacher’s today. Two key perspectives will be highlighted. First, can society find a balance of democracy and mastery of standards in today’s classroom? Second, is it possible to structure a classroom that is inclusive of each child’s individual traits and diversity?
Tucker, [364 U.S. 479,] at 487. The classroom is peculiarly the 'marketplace of ideas.' The Nation's future depends upon leaders trained through wide exposure to that robust exchange of ideas which discovers truth 'out of a multitude of tongues, [rather] than through any kind of authoritative selection (Keyishian v. Board of Regents).'" This means that the students have a right to continue to see each other’s work as is the practice so that natural discussions can evolve which allow them to see others viewpoints. At younger ages it would be important to point out that the student’s work was their own possibly by having everyone present their works so the children associate the religious idea with a person and not the school. At older ages students are aware that the work belongs to the individual and no discussion
Please accept this letter and the accompanying materials in application for the Assistant Principal position at Thornton High School. Through my research of your school, I was impressed by its historic track record of success and the current opportunity to help students with the greatest needs. I hope to work alongside your administration team to advocate for teachers, support students, and partner with parents to build and maintain a school culture that encourages students to become intellectually curious, thoughtful, and compassionate citizens. I am highly qualified for the Assistant Principal position and bring a unique set of perspectives, skills, and experiences that include:
My desire to work in the Catholic School system stems primarily from the ability to share my faith openly in such an environment, however, the Catholic School’s focus on the growth of the whole person, spiritual and academic and its commitment to service in the community and the world are also very important to me.
Gerald Graff argues in his paper “Hidden Intellectualism,” that all students possess intellectual abilities but are often over looked and academically discarded due to them being intellectual in an unapparent way. Graff opens his paper by recounting several stories, including his own, on discovering intellectual ability in youths. The first story tells of a child who began expressing intellectual tendencies when arguing about religious studies, sparking Graff’s’ interest in the idea of hidden intellectualism. He addresses throughout the paper how the culture of schools is not conducive to feeding intellectual growth; his main focus is that of his childhood, and his experience growing up in a school system that focused on memorization of seemingly unconnected facts and an environment that continuously put down intellectuals. Graf continues to argue that schools focus on suppressing conflict for a peaceful and quite façade, however he continues to write that argument is not the same as rebellion and that schools should support rather than restrict debate between peers, in doing this schools would provide a safe, constructive outlet for aggressive behaviors. In his essay, Graff acknowledges and responds to several conflicting theories concerning these particular subjects of argument and debate in schools. He concludes his paper with discussing a high school lesson plan he and a colleague put into effect, which focused on developing intellectual thought in his colleague’s
Gerald Graff is a professor of English and education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Graff, in his essay, emphasizes the importance for instructors to teach and increase enjoyable courses that students shall truly understand. Graff assures that all kids have hidden intellectualism trying to emerge from within, and as a teacher he feels partly accountable to help those kids develop their competencies in educational work. The essence of Graff’s argument is for students to know that intellectualism lurks within them all, and they need to implement their potential at school. Furthermore, he enriches the essay based totally on his own life experiences, along with his hidden intellectualism, while he attended school during the anti-intellectualism
“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” – Henry B. Adams. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to play a big part in children’s education, which is why I have decided to enroll for an education course. I believe that educators have a lifelong impact on their students and on the development of resilience. Thus, I aspire to inculcate my love for learning into the next generation, by influencing and inspiring children all through their formal education.
Ethics in the Lockheed Martin Corporation didn’t always have the message it has today. As I read through the book, Ethics at Work: Creating Virtue at an American Corporation, specifically chapter two, I came across some very interesting issues this corporation has had to deal with over the past few decades that go back to the 1920’s and earlier. In the following I’ll go over a few points that led to the development of Lockheed Martine’s current ethics program. Ill cover some ethics issues that were overcame on the way to a great ethics program. First let’s talk about the beginnings that started the Lockheed Martin Corporation so you can get an idea of the foundation of the company itself.
several precepts for teachers by which they must guide their focus. By caring, Noddings writes, a teacher is pursuing, “an education for whole persons,” which, “must address social, emotional, and ethical issues, as well as academic.” (238, Educating Whole People) When teachers present several different viewpoints on controversial issues, teachers do not teach students to be relativistic. Rather, by empowering students to explore and navigate through the issues which are most important to them, teachers will inherently be showing students the importance
Thanks you for this opportunity to apply for Position at your school, I understand you have a student centred philosophy, so I’ve done some research on cognitive and moral development in primary age students.