Classroom Environment Philosophy Dylan McGee

Introduction
My classroom would be a high school English class that values respect and discussion
very highly. Students would be encouraged to participate in every class and every student would
have to share their opinion on the work at least once per class. Students would have much
autonomy as long as they participate in discussion, such as not having to ask to go to the
bathroom. If students are disruptive, I would discipline them by trying to see their point of view
and work things out as such.
Five Belief Statements
1) I believe that all children have potential.
Even if a student seems uninterested and may not want to participate in class, that does not mean
that they are not worth the same time or effort as other students. A student can have much going
on in their life that could affect their performance in school and this must be taken into account
when teaching them. I will make sure that I deeply ingrain in every student’s psyche that
everyone is good at something.
2) I believe that all children should have a chance to speak.
Some students may not get a chance to speak in their home life or even in their social life.
Because of this, all children should have a chance to present their opinion in class, free from
ridicule from other students. I will make sure to focus on shyer students and help them want to
speak up in class and share their thoughts.
3) I believe all children should be free from judgment.
No student should be scared to ask a question for fear of being laughed at. Even though some
questions show that a student has not been paying attention, many questions are posed because a
student simply does not understand the material. If a student’s question goes ignored because it is
“dumb” that student will simply be afraid to ask questions in the future and will not learn
effectively.
4) I believe all children should love the material.
A student will be much more likely to learn and retain information if the information is
interesting. Even typically boring material will be made interesting with various activities tied
into the course, and I will teach the background of everything we read as well to help tie the
material historically to other material in the class
5) I believe all children should be on a level playing field.
I will treat every student equally and show no favoritism towards any student. Students will learn
to also treat their fellow students with compassion and respect, as high school students can be
quite cruel to each other. I will also not take a student’s previous grades or class experiences into
factor for how to treat a student.

Parent Letter
Classroom Environment Philosophy Dylan McGee

To Whom It May Concern,

I welcome your child and you to their 12th Grade English class! I greatly look forward to working
with you and your child throughout the year to make their success in the class a top priority.
This class will be challenging, rewarding, and lead to your child having a better grasp on both
English itself as well as the great works of literature in the language. A variety of literature will
be read and analyzed in this class, ranging from short stories to novels, and I will make sure
that every student finds the class engaging and informative.

I have a number of expectations for your student in order to provide an effective learning
environment. My first rule regards cell phone usage. Although I will not be send a child out of
class for using their phone in class (unless it is a repeated issue), they will not be allowed to use
it whenever they want. I will allow the students to use their phone to listen to music while
reading in class, and they will be allowed to use it in the beginning and ending minutes of the
class period. My second rule regards when a student begins to act disruptively. The first two
occurences of such behavior will be a verbal warning, and the third time will result in a larger
punishment, such as silent lunch. A student who continually disrupts the rest of the class will be
sent to the principal's office. My third rule is that no student will ever use language that is racist
or xenophobic, sexist, homophobic, or of any other hurtful nature. The students will be
thoroughly informed of this in the first week of class, and any offense will result in an immediate
trip to administration.

My framework for success for your child is based on two words: READ and WRITE. They
consist of the following:

Recall information learned from previous classes

Evaluate texts critically to gain insight
Ask questions about concepts that are difficult to understand
Discover new vocabulary, ideas, and more from the text

AND

Wonder about a possible topic to write on

Research information pertinent to an assigned text
Investigate new ideas and thoughts about a text
Take the time to make sure an essay/paper is of top quality
Engage in supportive critical discussion with classmates

The rubric for this class is as follows:

Participation: 15%
Reading-Based Questions: 10%
Quizzes (6): 20%
Classroom Environment Philosophy Dylan McGee

Tests (2): 30%

Final Paper: 25%

Your child will be expected, in this class, to read 2-3 novels during the semester, as well as
numerous shorter stories in the beginning of class. Homework will mostly be assigned reading,
with some homework devoted to essays later in the class. Questions based on the reading and
about the reading will be discussed in class. Class activities will involve a wide array of
resources in order to educate your child in the most effective and appropriate way.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter, and I hope it has left you more
informed about your child’s 12th grade English class! Senior year can be a stressful time for
many students, and I will do my absolute best to make sure each and every one of my students
receives the utmost quality of care.

Sincerely,

Dylan McGee