The 5 W’s of Mr. Mycroft Ryan Mycroft Fall 2014 EDC 415-Professor Noble

Who am I? Ryan L. Mycroft born December 15 th 1991 – 22 years old From Narragansett, RI – Narragansett High School class of 2010 URI class of 2015 – B.S. Secondary Education with middle school endorsement. – B.A. History.

A little about me away from teaching Things I love: America My family Dogs: I’m getting a puppy for graduation and cannot wait. History: I love to learn about how we got to where we are. Favorite topics in history, American history; specifically the waves of immigration and the changes American society went through in the 1960’s. Sport: Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics, URI Music: The Black Keys, Dave Matthews band, Zac Brown Band, Pearl Jam, Taylor Swift, Kid Cudi, The Killers TV: The Office, Mad Men, Parks and Rec, It’s Always Sunny, The League Heroes: Abraham Lincoln, Bill Clinton, Bill Belichick

Quotes I Live By While this quote is from a comedy, NBC’s “The Office” To me it is a great philosophy. In life it is important to take risks and get outside your comfort zone in order to grow as an adult. You don’t want to wake up one day and be 75 years old thinking “What if I had done things differently?”

Quotes I Live By “You are given three names in life, the one you inherit, the one your parents give you, and the one you make for yourself” -Abraham Lincoln

Why I Want to Teach I care about children and want to make a positive difference in their lives. I believe teachers have one of the most important jobs in society, as they impact children almost every single day. Interactions I have had with teachers from as early as pre-one have affected who I am today. The impact and responsibility we have as educators should not be taken lightly. Although I am a history major, I understand why some people may find history boring, however I enjoy history and as a teacher I want to find ways to show children ways to enjoy it. I want to be involved in high schools, I believe it is one of the most transformational, influential and sometimes difficult periods of someone’s life, and if I can make it more enjoyable for a student I have succeeded. The content we teach as teachers is important, but I believe teaching is mainly about teaching skills needed for later in life. Teaching is more about the learning process than content in my opinion. For that same reason I want to coach football, I learned many important life lessons through sports in school and I believe the relationships between teacher-student and coach-player can help mold students into productive, positive members of society.

My Teaching Philosophy Teaching is an art, what works for some, may not work for others, doesn’t make either person wrong. There is no one wrong or right way to reach your goals as long as your goals are reached. In teaching I believe preparation is key. As Benjamin Franklin once said “Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail”. I believe it is vital to make yourself approachable to students, if they are afraid to ask you for help or come to you when there is an issue, you are failing as a teacher. Because of this plan to use the Authoritative approach as I feel it is very affective. It is important to expect the most out of your students which this approach does while still balancing a warm, caring aspect which I feel is necessary to being a successful teacher. If you show students you genuinely care about them they tend to respond to that. I believe preventative discipline an important trait for a teacher to have as well. Manage the environment to minimize misbehavior and maximize learning. The Managerial approach is another teaching technique I am a fan of implementing in my classroom. Respect is key. Not only is it important for my students to respect me, but for my students to respect each other. This way we can all successfully move forward together.

My Classroom Rules Show up on time, prepared, ready to learn – We cannot afford to waste time when there may only be 45 minutes for me to teach a lesson Respect your teacher and peers. – I will not allow a hostile classroom environment Raise hand to speak, do not interrupt me or other students while they are talking. Try your best, put your best foot forward. – I’d rather see you try and fail then not try at all. Follow and abide all school-wide policies already set in place.

Positive Behavioral Intervention System (PBIS) Manage classroom to avoid problem behavior and situations. – Have rules and procedures set in place in the beginning of the year so there are no questions about what is to be expected. – Intervene early when necessary Have differentiated instruction for students – Consider all student needs – IEPs – Learning Styles – Cultural Biases – Home Life – Rapid Response Monitor Student Progression – Includes individualized interventions for high-risk behaviors.