Sarah Engström, Outdoor and Environmental Educator
K-8 Teacher Certified
Standard
Rationale
Artifact
Click buttons below to see Artifacts
ALASKA STATE TEACHING STANDARDS
Evidence supporting my ability as a teacher to adhere to Alaskan Teaching Standards
Standard 1: Philosophy Relationship to Teacher Practice
1A. Stating a personal philosophy of education supported by research, professional literature and experience with students
1B. Identifying teaching practices that are consistent or inconsistent with the teacher’s philosophy of education
1C. Demonstrating teaching practices that represent the teacher’s philosophy of education.
My teaching philosophy addresses Standard 1A because it was largely influenced by the research of Richard Louv, in "Last Child in the Woods," David Sobel's "Nature Principals", Henderson and Vikander's "Nature Life" and also by the combined works of Smith and Sobel "Place Based and Community Education in Schools." My philosophy of literacy was influenced by the professional literature of "Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science" by Louisa Moats.
These great works, along with my personal experiences with students helped me to create a philosophy of education that I hope to use every day of my future teaching career.
This video is an example of my ability to satisfy standard 1C because in it, I prove that learning does not need to take place in side, and that learning that is active is better for long term memory. Outdoor meaningful learning is a crucial part of my philosophy.
This artifact proves my ability to meet Standard 1B because the lesson in question was one in which I combined outdoor and traditional education practices while holding students to a high level of accountability for their own learning.
The lesson was connected to the students understanding of the world, since I changed the mandated materials to instead discuss Anchorage, creating local and lasting connections for the students.
"She accomplishes this [making connections with local cultures] through creating hands on place based curriculum on her own, going above and beyond the typical job description of a lead instructor. In addition, Sarah has a “get things done” work attitude calling on community guest speakers and coordinating age appropriate field trips within our Palmer Community. She speaks clearly, communicating directly with other teachers as well as myself. She was visible, friendly and holds a strong presence both in and out of the classroom. Students both respect and adore her."
-Megan Rock, Louise's Farm School Director
Likewise this evaluation from my supervisor at the Louise's Farm School demonstrates that my teaching practices are consistent with my teaching philosophy, because in it I state that "To be effective, educators must also cultivate rapport with their students by actively listening to their concerns, ideas, questions, and stories."
Also, in my philosophy I say "To create a holistic learning environment, I believe that HUMAN resources need to be part of it. This means that I hope that when I teach, I will not stand alone. I will include parents and community organizations into my daily routine."
This testimonial displays my ability to create connections to local communities.
1B. Identifying teaching practices that are consistent or inconsistent with the teacher’s philosophy of education
1B. Identifying teaching practices that are consistent or inconsistent with the teacher’s philosophy of education
1C. Demonstrating teaching practices that represent the teacher’s philosophy of education.
FINAL PORTFOLIO ARTIFACTS AND RATIONALES
MIDPOINT ARTIFACT AND RATIONALE
Mid point Rationale
Midpoint artifact
MIDPOINT ARTICLES AND RATIONALES
FINAL PORTFOLIO ARTIFACTS AND RATIONALES
My philosophyof education proves my ability to meet standard 1A because it is a document rich with cited examples of research in the outdoor education field in particular as well as general education practices. It is a blend of the two disciplines, outdoor education as well as a more traditional K-8 approach.
"Sarah is living up to the philosophy that she believes in. She does a lot of hands-on activities and tries to relate learning to real life"
~Mid term evaluation
These quotes and photo gallery prove my ability to meet both Standard 1B and 1C because in them, my supervisors are discussing how my teaching practices that I discuss in my philosophy look in the classroom. I am adapting lessons to fit the needs of students, which fits into my stance as an experimentalist. Also, the pictures show students learning in lots of different environments. I am constantly adapting to changing needs of students while teaching. I mean this in the sense of adjusting lesson flow as I assess understanding, but also in a very real, literal sense. I change the place where the students are by taking them outside, and by making them look at their own community as teaching resource. I make them stand up and move at least one time per lesson. This idea of measurable education not being restricted to classrooms is a crucial part of my philosophy, as is the idea of using human resources to enhance learning and connections.