Vicky Sue Gilpin
300 East Durfee
Cerro Gordo, IL 61818
Position Title: High School English Teacher, Full Time
Organizational Placement: Reports to High School Principal
Job Description
A. Performance Responsibilities
1. Primary Responsibilities
a. Display an in-depth understanding of the subject matter: grammar, composition, analysis, and other basic areas necessary to successfully teach Composition and Literature classes.
b. Teach skills in reading comprehension, narrative writing, persuasive writing, expository writing, creative writing, spelling, grammar, and basic analysis.
c. Develop students' reasoning skills, reflection capacity, and interpretive and analytical abilities.
d. Create a safe classroom environment conducive to brain-compatible learning.
e. Demonstrate varied teaching techniques that cater to differing learning styles.
f. Plan effective units to meet specific district and state standards.
g. Demonstrate concern for students' well-being through continuous effective interaction with students.
h. Maintain detailed students records, lesson plans, classroom expectations, and assessment procedures.
i. Display practical knowledge of the Illinois State Learning Standards.
j. Collaborate with other members of the faculty to facilitate interdisciplinary or thematic teaching techniques.
k. Strive constantly to improve in subject area and teaching style.
l. Remain fluent in current educational theories.
2. Other Responsibilities
a. Sponsor Student Council
--Run weekly meetings
--Plan Homecoming Week
--Host the Bonfire
--Organize the Homecoming Dance
--Organize the Homecoming Parade
--Plan the Adopt-A-Highway pickups
--Plan Aloha Day
--Organize Boys' Basketball Concessions
b. Sponsor Advanced Topics program
--Have weekly meetings
--Plan for monthly coffee/Mexican food outings
--Organize the "Big Music Thing"
--Plan the Autumn Jack-o-Lantern Breakfast
--Find interesting educational documentaries to view
c. Supervise hallways daily
d. Maintain availability and contact for parent concerns and conferences
B. Desired Skills and Abilities
1. Above average communication skills
2. Desire to engage in lifelong learning
3. Creative problem-solving abilities
4. Sense of humor
5. Motivational skills
6. Desire to see students achieve their goals
7. Effective time management abilities
8. Organizational abilities
9. Leadership abilities
C. Professional Credentials
1. Bachelor of Arts in English from an accredited university
2. State Teacher's Certification
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My Philosophy of Teaching and the Related National Board Core Propositions
I have discovered that my main concepts of being a teacher center around one idea: understanding. Everything important to me in and out of the classroom involves understanding. I always try to make sure everyone understands the situation in the classroom, organization, or activity. I feel that the key to a student's learning is his or her understanding of the information (commitment #1). Knowledge and understanding are two very different things. I want the students to understand the material, each other, and themselves. Ultimately, I want to help the students understand whatever is necessary to lead them to bright and productive futures as citizens of the world, not just students in my class (commitment #1).
Within the classroom, I push for students to understand how and why the material applies to them. I attempt to use authentic assessment and strategy instruction to support this goal. I want the students to understand how to intelligently communicate ideas, be able to support those ideas, and most importantly, understand what those ideas say about them and their thought processes. Metacognition is important to my philosophy because I not only desire to help the students learn how think, I also strive to help them think about thinking (managing/monitoring #3). Classroom discussions facilitate this process. I want to help the students understand how professional language is a foundation for future success, how literary figures still have relevance to today's world, and how effective communication skills are the keys to personal achievement (commitment #1, subject knowledge #2).
I try to get the students to understand the joy of traditional knowledge and learning in on-traditional and authentic ways (managing/monitoring #3. I also attempt to encourage the idea that all knowledge is worth having. I feel that I model this idea well because of my interest in so many different areas (lifelong learning #4). I try to bring those areas into the classroom to demonstrate the different representations of understanding and learning. Many students do not realize that their hobbies or personal interests require detailed knowledge and understanding. Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences is integral to my classes because it promotes learning in various forms (individual differences #1). I want the students to understand how everything they learn, inside and outside of the classroom, can be beneficial.
An important goal is to help my students understand that they are not isolated. I want them to understand how to react to the world and the creatures within it. I want the students to be flexible and tolerant when faced with different cultures, beliefs, or ideologies. My own interest in different philosophies and belief systems brings a unique flavor to the classroom. I attempt to use the fruits of my own research to show the students different viewpoints (lifelong learning #4). I also created an extracurricular group, Advanced Topics: Workshop, that allows interested students to learn about varied topics not covered in the regular classes (commitment #1, systematic thinking #4).
I want the students to understand the consequences of their actions (commitment #1). I encourage class discussions on school situations, current events, textual occurrences, and other areas depicting the relationships of human beings. I also try to talk to the other teachers as often as possible to create interdisciplinary lessons (community #5). This action demonstrates healthy adult relationships to the students while also teaching the material. After my experiences in the MATL program, I have become more knowledgeable of the benefits of cooperative learning (managing/monitoring #3). I use these activities to promote social growth as well as the material. I want the students to realize that they have a choice about how they respond to stimuli. If I can provide opportunities to learn positive behavior and social interaction, perhaps the students will understand how their actions affect others.
I am intent for the students to understand themselves, fo rif they do not reflect on their own motives, they can never understand the material, others, or their own places in the educated world (commitment #1). To encourage constant awareness of self, I give daily journal prompts ranging from the serious to the bizarre. Also, the students often have to reflect about how a work, text, or theme applies to them. I attempt to fight against lack of ambition by forcing students to evaluate their own attitudes and opinions (commitment #1). I want them to understand their own power. I want them to kow how to defend against the killer that is apathy. So many students see only a gray future for themselves; they do not even want to know who they are and see no place for themselves in the world. I want them to understand how each day can bring with it the gift of hope, whether only on a day-to-day basis or for the outstretched future. I want them to understand that with a good education they have the ability to thrust themselves beyond the social and/or economic situations in which they feel jailed. With every lesson, instruction, activity, or assessment, I constantly demonstrate and discuss the prospects of a bright future for every student willing to grasp what is offered (commitment #1, community #5).
I feel that with a supportive community, staff, and families, my classes can help students achieve these levels of understanding. Of course, no one works in the perfect world that is precisely conducive to teaching and learning, but I think that my attitude and strategies give the students the opportunity for understanding. Good relationaships with parents are essential to a student's learning, but many parents do not stress the importance of that learning. I send out my assignment calendar, rules, and grading scale to the parents at the beginning of each semester (community #5). This and constant phone or email updates helps to get the parents more involved in the process of their children's education.
Many ways exist in which I can further improve my teaching. I allow too much from the outside world to affect how I teach. I want students to understand how to be socially adept, but I myself am inept at interaction when I do not feel well. I want my students to understand how to manage time, yet I stretch myself so thin that in the past, my teaching style has suffered. I am attempting to be less affected by outside or physical factors while I am teaching (systematic thinking #4).
I already use non-textual materials from the internet and other books, but an increase in supplemental sources would creat a more vivid tapestry of information for the students. Having multiple sources and types of sources will help meet the different educational needs of the students and demonstrate different aspects of research (managing/monitoring #3).
Finally, I want to continue to learn different theories, philosophies, and strategies for personal and professional development (lifelong learning #4). I feel that the more unusual and interesting pieces of knowledge I can amass, the more information I can relevantly pass on to the students.
In conclusion, most of my philosophy of teaching involves understanding; that understanding is seen between the students, the teacher, the material, and the parents. I want to help students become curious and ambitious life-long learners and world citizens.
My Contact Information
gilpin_vicky@hotmail.com
Links to my calendar and my book reviews
Calendar
