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Ms. Wojo
Amanda M. Wojciechowski
A message from my kindergarteners, 2022
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Teaching Philosophy
A.L. Kroeber (1923) said, “Culture, then, began when speech was present, and from then on, the enrichment of either means the further development of the other” (qtd. In Guessabi). My aspirations as a teacher are to teach critical thinking skills to encourage lifelong learning through thoughtful explorations of each subject matter. The purpose of education is to help our students grow their perspective by helping them see the bigger picture and shifting their lenses.
I believe that team and project-based learning, along with social-emotional learning are the best ways to achieve this goal. As a teacher, I will create impactful lessons to help students build their funds of knowledge so they retain and develop their mindful learning skills pertaining to reading, math, writing, STEAM, and behavior. I wholeheartedly believe that just as we teach our students the skills to read, coaching them along the way; we teach our students the skills to be empathetic and responsible individuals by giving them as many tools and opportunities as necessary to learn. I am a practicing educator-leader who wants to transform and better my practice and create better learning opportunities for students of all ages. I will assess students based on what they know and not on what they don’t know; following the idea that they just don’t know yet.
From a young age, I knew I was going to be an educator. For me, there is nothing better than the curiosity and enthusiasm that each new year of students brings. The most important aspect of teaching is giving our students the space they need to be heard and expand their autonomy. I believe that when students know each other, they can celebrate their differences and build on their common experiences, creating a cohesive community. I am determined to create equitable and safe environments within my classroom by fostering a community and guiding the learning of young leaders. I am lucky to have been taught and inspired by a number of mentors who have had a meaningful impact on my academic life. As an enthusiastic and devoted Educator, I strive to pass on my love of learning to my own students.
Education
August 2021 - June 2023
Masters in Teaching and Learning
High Tech High Graduate School of Education
August 2019 - June 2020
Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Arizona State University
August 2014 - December 2018
Bachelor in French & International Studies
San Diego State University
Certifications and Credentials
Multiple Subjects Credential (CA)
High Tech High GSE
Single-Subject French Credential
University of California, Riverside
TESL/TEFL Certification
San Diego State University
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
― Maya Angelou
HTeM New Teacher Odyssey
August 2021
Fourth Grade Halloween
October 2021
Kinder/Fourth Grade Buddies
November 2021
Energy of Us Exhibition
December 2021
Last Day of Fourth Grade
December 2021
Birch Aquarium Fieldwork
February 2022
Tidepool Art
February 2022
Kindergarten Writing Groups
April 2022
Avid Readers
May 2022
Earth Day
April 2022
Cabrillo Exhibition
June 2022
Projects and Lessons
Samples of My Work
Kinder Geometry Project
This project engages students in learning about 2D and 3D shapes, correctly naming shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size, and describing objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to. This project is connected to the bigger Tidepool project.
Essential Question: What geometric shapes can we see around us?
Kinder Editorial Writing
Students are adding on to our developing reading and writing “powers” (skills) by learning that writers need to write with their own true, detailed words even though that means they have to work a little harder to spell those true words.
Students will:
engage in classroom discussion about descriptive words used to describe past characters and individuals in previously read classroom books
listen actively to a content-specific read-alouds
engage in a group discussion about the characters in the books (with minimal prompting)
partner talk about the characters in the books and the connections they may share with the characters
volunteer to share what makes them “special/unique/different” using the content-specific vocabulary
Fourth Grade CGI Sample
Learning Goals:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to…
Solve three-step problems by adding or multiplying to get the same answer.
Make sense of non-routine problems and invent strategies while solving them.
Use strategies and tools accurately, efficiently, and flexibly.
Reason qualitatively while discussing invented solution strategies and understandings.
Students will deeply understand how to use an accessible strategy such as using manipulatives, direct modeling strategies, counting strategies, or various algorithms to break down and grapple with the math problem to help them understand how to solve the story problem. Students will retain and remember the steps to follow in order to complete a three-step problem and using parentheses and will use these strategies in future lessons.
Fourth Grade Critical Perspectives Lesson
When discussing diversity with students, a good starting place can be having them share their own identities so they can affirm who they are while also hearing about the differences in the identities of their peers. In the context of the Social Justice Standards, “action” includes taking steps to honor and celebrate identity and diversity, as well as taking steps to bring about justice. Pushing students to examine justice and injustice is critical.
Essential Question:
What can we do to make a change and be leaders in our communities?
Guiding questions:
Do you know of people who have fought for justice?
Does everyone have a responsibility to combat injustice, even if it doesn’t directly affect them?
