Mrs. Richards's Statement

I believe in creating a caring classroom community, where each and every one of my students feel safe and secure enough to truly engage in the learning process. It is my goal to effectively teach all students the essential academic learning requirements for 8th grade language arts. It is also my goal to inspire my students to be successful life long learners, as well as positive and productive citizens in the pursuit of true happiness.

My classroom management is based upon mutual respect and responsibility at all times. My teaching techniques involve connecting curriculum (based on the essential academic learning requirements) to my students' prior knowledge and interests, using outside resources to make learning more interesting, implementing authentic multicultural education, and allowing every student to succeed by utilizing their various learning styles and multi-intelligence.

The primary purpose of our curriculum here at Dimmitt Middle School is to teach our students the necessary skills to become successful readers, writers, and communicators. Reading instruction focuses on vocabulary development, comprehension, fluency, and effective reading strategies. Writing instruction focuses on language mechanics, grammar, spelling, the writing process, and Jane Schaffer writing.

In conclusion, I am truly dedicated to my profession in teaching, I enjoy working at Dimmitt Middle School because we share the same educational philosophy; we prepare our students to be successful citizens in the real world. I, much like other teachers here at DMS, help each and every one of my students to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. We inspire our students to be positive and productive people, and we support them as they grow into respectful, responsible, and intelligent human beings.