CHAANDA WEBER

E D U C A T I O N

Florida International University

Bachelor of Social Work

Minor in Psychology

Florida International University

Master of Social Work

I believe igniting curiosity is one of the primary goals of a teacher. When igniting curiosity, I like to start with an open-ended question like "why." My classroom culture is set from the beginning to encourage wonder. All types of unstructured questions and answers are embraced. Curiosity can elicit all kinds of wild wonder! As well, it is so important to model the excitement of curiosity. My level of enthusiasm and engagement about a topic can truly make or break the entire trajectory of a unit. That being said, I also make sure to allow time for calm, quiet reflection.

To prepare students for the real world, I intentionally support students to connect with their own lives. When students can understand how the content relates back to their own experiences, they can generalize new skills to other areas of their lives. I also allow opportunities to infuse technology into my assignments and projects to help prepare them for the advanced technological world they are entering. I also intentionally hyperfocus on each student's potential. If students are given opportunities to visualize their own potential, they will build the confidence to reach their goals. As parents and teachers, we should focus on potential and support children to build from there. Fixating on deficits will consistently thwart growth. But the most important skills I try to impart onto my students to prepare them for the real world are persistence, grit, and flexibility. Our modern times are changing at warp speed, and students need to have the growth mindset to pivot and muscle through each new challenge. Failure is nothing more than an experience we learn from. I tell students to be proud of their failures!