RaeAnn Homrich

Determined academic leader with over 26 years of experience teaching high school and dual credit mathematics. Committed to student learning and fostering their ability to use problem-solving skill to develop systematic plan to solve mathematical problems. Skilled in producing virtual lessons for students to refer back to while studying.

• Finite Mathematics (Indiana University M118)
• Calculus (Indiana University M211)
• College Algebra (IVY Tech M136)
• Trigonometry (IVY Tech M137)
• Quantitative Reasoning (Ivy Tech M123)

• National Honor Society
• Department Mathematics
• Student Council
• Senior Sponsor
• Junior Sponsor

• Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellowship Winner 2016- I traveled to Belgrade Serbia to take live and study the language for 2 months.
• Teacher of the month recipient.
• Donors Choose Grant.

• Russian Exchange Student
• Colombian Exchange Student
• Serbian Exchange Student
• Montenegran Exchange Student

As a mathematics teacher, my educational philosophy has changed over time. Past teaching experiences, graduate coursework, and the study of educational philosophers have all shaped my beliefs as an educator. It is my mission to create a nurturing and safe learning environment, where students are comfortable asking questions and taking risks.

In order to ensure this atmosphere, I believe students must feel comfortable in not only the classroom but also the school system. Therefore, it is my goal to treat each child respectfully as to ensure that I am demonstrating that behavior that I hope they pass on. I strive to provide an environment where all students feel that they have a voice that is heard.

Likewise, an essential part of a student’s education, I feel the ability to comfortably ask questions. The line of communication from both me and the student should always be open in order foster the ideal learning environment. Utilizing a well-developed curriculum, in addition to the use of differentiated instruction, I intend to reach each student at their present level and place of readiness. The importance of colleague collaboration and working hand-in-hand with both parents and students, I believe builds an optimal educational learning experience. As an educator, I recognize that my students are all unique individuals who come from diverse backgrounds that need to be embraced and celebrated.

I believe students learn best when all of their emotional and basic needs are met. As the study, The Role of Intelligence Quotient and Emotional Intelligence in Cognitive Control Processes, explains students’ emotional intelligence is as important as Intelligence Quotient (Checa, 2015); therefore, schools need to use a holistic approach toward students. Again, as an educator, I will treat each and every student with respect and support them as they develop confidence in their abilities. In my classroom, every child is significant and special. I believe the most important duty of an educator is to protect the well-being of all students while accepting the responsibility to education our youth academically. I realize that their emotional needs must also be taken into consideration. An encouraging school environment that aids students in building healthy relationships with themselves, others, and their environment is essential to learning.

I also believe every student is capable of learning through a variety of learning styles. According to the article, How different are students and their learning styles?, many students prefer different styles of learning such as auditory, visual, read-write, and kinesthetic. Seventy-five percent, however, would rather have tri-modal and/or quad-modal learning environment (Kanchi, 2013). In-order to foster these preferred styles, it is important that school classrooms are set up to assist students in the style that they are most comfortable in and is supportive to their learning. By recognizing and meeting students’ needs and taking into account their learning style, I hope to help each student to reach their highest success. I am enthusiastic in my approach to provide a cohesive learning environment.

Furthermore, I believe students should be active learners who are willing to explore knowledge through cooperative learning. Students need to create building blocks that allow them to develop upon in order to advance higher-order thinking skills through discovery. Schools that encourage students to use trial and error, an idea which is encouraged by Jerome Bruner, build an understanding of ideas and concepts that will benefit students in their future (Takaya, K. 2008). With this in mind, my classroom is student-centered while my role as a teacher is to monitor with mutual respect and foster a proactive learning environment. I incorporate real world problems that inspire the students to problem solve. I focus on being more the spark rather than the flame and allow my students the opportunity to take an active, not passive, role in their own education.

I believe students have different types of intelligences that should be valued and developed. These intelligences, which were described by Howard Garner (verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, naturalistic, bodily-kinesthetic and interpersonal), help a learner process information (Gardner 1983). All eight intelligences are within each student to differing degrees. Schools need to guide students to explore and strengthen their personal intelligences in order to discover what direction they may decide to study now and in the future. Schools also need to encourage students to take a variety of courses that cultivate all intelligences.

As an educator and learner, I have discovered the opportunity to learn comes in many places and situations, not just in the pages of a textbook. A child’s education is derived from the community, world, and their environment. With this in mind, I use cooperative learning as well as peer tutoring with-in my classroom. I believe this approach helps students develop other intelligences they possess, such as verbal-linguistic.

In order for our students to be prepared for a world that is constantly changing, it is our responsibility, as educators and school systems, to ensure that students acquire the innovative skills that allow them to be problem-solvers. We need to continuously reassess our goals and philosophies to ensure that we are providing a learning environment that helps students grow socially, emotionally, as well as intellectually. Through personal evaluation, peer assessment, and continuing education, I anticipate gaining knowledge and experience will continually enhance my teaching performance and strategies. Using the words of Jean Piaget, “The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done- men who are creative, inventive, and discovers. The second goal of education is to form minds which can be critical, can verify, and not accept everything they are offered (Duckworth, 1964).”

References

Checa, P., & Fernández-Berrocal, P. (2015). The Role of Intelligence Quotient and Emotional

Intelligence in Cognitive Control Processes. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1853. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01853

Duckworth, E. (1964). Piaget rediscovered. The Arithmetic Teacher, 11(7), 496-499.

Retrieved July 3,2021 from http://www.jstor.or/stable/41186862 .

Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. (1983). SpringerReference.

https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_180304.

Kanchi Shah, Junaid Ahmed*, Nandita Shenoy, Srikant N. (2013). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272670651_How_different_are_students_and_their_learning_styles/fulltext/57bf179e08ae2f5eb32e7a0c/How-different-are-students-and-their-learning-styles.pdf .

Narayanan, M. (n.d.). Assessment of Learning Using Fleming & Mills’ VARK Learning Styles. 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.18260/1-220986 .

Takaya, K. (2008). Jerome Bruner’s Theory of Education: From Early Bruner to Later Bruner. Interchange, 39(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-008-9039-2.