Hi! I am Ms. Nahigian and I am going to be assisting with your child's education this fall! I am very excited for another wonderful school year. I graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in finance and then returned to Madonna University to get my degree in teaching. I am also a Birmingham Public Schools graduate! I have an extreme sense of pride in the district and I am truly excited to give back to a community that has given so much to me. Last year, I taught first grade in Detroit and had a very exciting and memorable year. I am very excited to begin this educational journey with your child. I have very high expectations and I look forward to a fantastic and successful year.
I firmly believe that open communication between parents and teachers is important. Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns regarding your child's education with me. I would appreciate any family member that would be willing to share educational experiences with your child. I hope you are as excited about this upcoming year as I am!
Philosophy of Education:
Picture yourself back in elementary school looking up at your teacher, thinking how nervous you will be if you don’t understand the next section that your teacher is about to go over in class. When I was on the other side of the teacher-student relationship, I remember the hardships that I faced when trying to learn something challenging. I am now in a position where these times can help me anticipate the difficulties that my students will face. Students need to learn the information by working hard and attaining a deeper understanding of the subject matter. I practice this idea and feel that before true understanding can take place, students must be faced with a learning challenge. If learning is too easy students will become bored. If learning is too difficult, students will stop trying. The teacher needs to find the zone of proximal development for students to maximize learning. Many students don’t feel comfortable with struggling; they feel that they must be doing something wrong if their method does not work immediately. It is my goal to get students away from this idea. In order to make this possible for my students, I must have well structured classroom environment, connect the information to their lives outside of the classroom, teach with multiple techniques, and give all students equal opportunities to learn. It is my philosophy that if I am able to implement these ideas, that the struggle that some students face will be followed by the rewards of knowledge and a greater understanding for the subject matter.
Structure in the Classroom
A well-structured environment for students is very important. It is one of my goals because if students don’t understand the rules and proper behavior, then the classroom can become chaotic and proper learning cannot take place. Students need to know exactly what is expected from them in order to succeed. An excellent teacher is somebody who knows that they themselves are the true determiners of the behavior and the tone set in the classroom.
Connecting the Students with the Material
I have always found ways to connect material that I am teaching with my students’ lives. If the students can’t connect the information with prior knowledge it will be much less likely that they will internalize it. I will do this by always having a strong anticipation guide that intrigues them while sparking their prior knowledge. Another way I intend to connect the knowledge with the students’ lives is to show them real life situations where the knowledge can be used. Many times students understand something better when a life situation is connected. For example, if the students are learning about sandpaper it can easily be connected with their mother using a nail file. Students need these connections for their knowledge.
Multiple Teaching Techniques
I also make it a priority to use multiple teaching techniques. This will aid in the internalization of subject matter. Children learn in many different ways and my goal is to reach all of them. I always include multiple representations of the same idea throughout my lessons. I give my students a hands-on approach to the material, different visual representations, and concrete information. With these different techniques, I can accommodate my visual, tactile, and auditory learners. If I am able to reach every one of my students in at least one way, I can hope for a better understanding from all.
Equal Opportunities for all Students
I always give students equal and unbiased attention in the classroom. All students are worthy and capable of attaining knowledge. All students have the capacity to learn, therefore I need to take the time to make sure I am giving them what they need to accomplish this goal. Without giving each individual student adequate time for their learning, they could miss important information. Certain students have more trouble grasping a particular concept. If they are still having trouble, then I will teach them the concept using different techniques until they internalize the information. Another way that the students who need extra time to learn can prosper is by learning from other students. This gives the students on each end of the spectrum a positive reinforcement of knowledge.
There is no limit to which a teacher can strive. There is an infinite amount of success to be experienced and knowledge to be acquired. There may be challenges for both the teacher and students along the road of knowledge, but it is the power that the knowledge holds that makes all of the adversity worthwhile.
