Aldridge Elementary School - Kindergarten Teacher
Teaching Philosophy
Throughout my 15 years of teaching children, several key beliefs have remained constant; teaching is a passion in which building positive relationships with students, parents and colleagues is essential, leading by example is fundamental and there is always room for growth in both my students and myself.
There are several traits that set me apart from other educators. First and foremost, I foster positive relationships with those around me. I strive to make personal connections with each kindergarten student, so that every child feels loved and ready to learn at school. I desire for students and their families to know that I care about their entire well-being; therefore, I pour endless amounts of time and energy into creating relationships that are life-giving and long lasting. Once this trust is built, the real-world application of learning comes alive. As a team leader, I facilitate collaboration with colleagues to ensure student growth. A quote that guides my focus on leadership and team unity states that, “Measuring outcomes is only useful if you know what the target should be. If the target is different in each classroom, then we have no way to know how students are doing across the cohort relative to each other. The students are stuck with varying degrees of rigor depending on which teacher they have. That's not fair to our students.” These words have emboldened my team to give every kindergarten family a unified experience when enrolling their children at our school. We want our teaching and relationships with families to be so strong that no teacher is perceived as better than another. With this in mind, I pursue growth through frequent reflection by asking my team and myself the following: How can we continue to grow as educators to instruct all students with varying abilities?
I firmly believe that teaching is a passion and not a job. My students remain at the forefront of my mind long after I have left for the day. They come first, and I am always working to improve my teaching methods. Routines and structure allow my students to flourish in a safe environment which is extremely rewarding to witness. I also strive to teach and treat every student the way I want and expect my own children to be treated and instructed.
The joys and challenges I face as a teacher are opportunities for growth and reflection rather than defeat. The impact of my work resonates for years as I lay the foundation for all future learning. It is heartbreaking to hear of students in older grades who dislike school because they were not given opportunities to develop positive relationships or establish essential skills that are necessary for future learning. A student who once told me they hated reading can now be found immersed in a story after I suggested to him, “Let’s find a book about something you love.” It is priceless to watch a student realize that the sight words we’ve learned are found in every book! My heart is full when a student makes the connection that they have used addition and subtraction their entire life when they requested another toy or ate another cookie! It’s moments like these that bring joy to my life as a teacher. It’s moments like these that fortify kindergarten as a crucial year to develop curiosity and foster a love for learning.
From the moment they step foot in my classroom, my students are assured that they are safe, will have fun learning, and that their teacher loves them. Hands-on learning begins once they cross the threshold and begin their daily activities. The dedication, positivity, and enthusiasm I bring each day are the traits that make me an outstanding teacher. The biggest reward of all is the long-lasting relationships that are formed and the parents who return to say, “thank you for the positive impact you have made on my child’s life.”
Principal's Recommendation
To the Teacher of the Year Selection Committee:
Dedicated, reflective, inspiring, passionate, intentional, knowledgeable and an open heart are the very few words that staff at Aldridge say about Tina Church. Tina Church has been a force to be reckoned with here at Aldridge. Her love of teaching has been demonstrated daily here at Aldridge since 2014, by not only what is done in the classroom, but what is shared as a team leader and as an Ocelot. When you look for a perfect quote to fit Tina, there is not just one; there are many.
Tina has served here at Aldridge as a classroom teacher and most recently was asked to push herself out of her comfort zone to take on the lead of reading collaborative team last year and team leader this year. This was no easy task for Tina. Tina is one who wanted to make sure that if she was going to take on this role, that it was with her best and the right mindset for not only her students, but OUR students. She has a heart of gold, and it is definitely seen through the halls of Aldridge by colleagues, students, parents and visitors.
Her eagerness to learn is exemplified in her desire to continue her education through self-learning, professional development courses and her willingness to ask questions, which has allowed her the ability to be productive in her approach of teaching.
From 6 a.m. in the morning until 4 p.m. in the afternoon, if not longer, Tina is giving her best! She works endless hours trying to find the best ways to get the best out of her students on so many different levels. You can find her making her own games to reinforce skills or enrich the learning of her students. You won’t see many worksheets in her classroom. She is able to implement and create innovative activities for students that meet their individual needs. You’ll find manipulatives being used, role playing, discussion, problem solving, real life materials in the hands of the students just to name a few.
There’s nothing standard about Tina Church. There’s no doubt she has faced her challenges with some students, but never once did she give up, her response was to teach proudly with a smile. Her students aren’t just her students, they are her babies, and she treats them as her own.
She has a growth mindset and not only challenges her students, but her team as well. There is no such thing as the bare minimum from Tina. Tina is not only a quality teacher, but a quality member of society.
It was no surprise to see Mrs. Church’s name rise to the top tier of candidates for our 2019-20 Teacher of the Year nominees. There is no doubt in my mind that Mrs. Church would be an amazing representation of not only Aldridge Elementary School, but Plano ISD in exhibiting creativeness at her finest. You will not only get a dedicated teacher, but a teacher that seeks to develop, achieve and conquer any task at hand.
It is with great appreciation and respect that I recommend Mrs. Church for consideration as Plano ISD’s Teacher of the Year.
Should you desire further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Warm Regards,
AntréShawn Buhl
Principal
