Hi, I'm Mikayla and I am from the San Francisco East Bay Area. I graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a Bachelor's degree in 2019. I then graduated from the University of San Diego where I earned my California Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential and Master's degree in education. My experience in education began in the summer of 2018 while I was a student at Cal Poly Pomona. I traveled to China and taught English as a Second Language with a group of other prospective teachers. Since then, I have had experience teaching as a long-term substitute teacher in Oakland, a regular substitute teacher throughout schools in San Diego, and a fifth-grade English teacher at a dual-immersion charter school in Chula Vista. I have loved and appreciated each experience that I have had because of the lessons they taught me to help me grow as an educator. There is no doubt that it is my passion to continue to impart knowledge and foster healthy spaces for students to grow.
Educator Philosophy
My greatest hope as an educator is to provide a safe environment for my students where they feel comfortable expressing themselves in any capacity and showcase their academic abilities to their fullest potential. Achieving this will require me to acknowledge their needs, include all their backgrounds and learning abilities, and allow room for mistakes. Using my best practices in the classroom, I will continue to provide a setting that is beneficial to every student’s educational progress.
From my teaching, I hope that my students become well-rounded thinkers who use problem-solving skills and critical thinking to form opinions. I incorporate collaborative learning methods to give opportunities for students to listen and learn from their peers rather than having me as their sole lecturer. Philosopher Lev Vygotsky’s social constructivism theory, which highlights the effects social interactions have on development, has influenced my beliefs of using techniques like think-pair-share, group discussions, and group projects as an effective form of learning. By including this collaborative approach in my instruction, students should walk away meeting the goals I have set for them. They will become thinkers who use logic, diverse perspectives, and self-reflection to form opinions.
As a teacher of young children, I also aim to provide my students with a supportive learning environment that allows them to receive the education fit for them individually. To me, this looks like supplying students with all the materials they may need, focusing on their academic journey instead of the grades they can produce, and advocating for them inside and outside my classroom. I want all of my students to feel equally valued and included as learners. The support they receive from me will play a crucial role in how they navigate other academic and personal spaces for the rest of their lives.
My growth as an educator will look like continuously reflecting on my philosophy and refining my teaching practices. I will continue to be mindful of my students' different personalities, familial backgrounds, and learning styles. Through my experience, I have learned the importance of different types of assessments used to inform my instruction. I plan to use that knowledge to better understand what my students need from me to improve their learning and how I can best be of service to them moving forward throughout the school year. Inside my classroom, students will feel their teacher values their academic achievement and challenges them to help them realize their potential.