My name is Mrs. Saltzman and have taught Kindergarten here at Grace Christian School for the past 10 years! I have been married to Kurt Saltzman for the past 19 years and we have 2 boys: Keegan (17 years old) and Micaiah (14 years old).
Philosophy of Education
Teaching is a full-time job, whether you are in a classroom or not. We have a
responsibility to teach those around us. We can either use our talents and
abilities for good or bad. I want to teach children to take responsibility
for their actions and make wise choices. I want to see students grow as
people and gain confidence in themselves. I want them to feel welcome and at
ease in a classroom environment. I am hopeful that these students will work
hard and become lifelong learners, and have fun doing it!
Teaching at a Christian school allows me to openly express how I feel about
Christ. We are called to live our lives as examples for Christ, showing
others love and allowing them to see something different in us that the world
is lacking. I believe the Lord has called me to teaching and given me
strengths to allow me to be a better teacher. God has gifted me in many ways
to be a teacher. One of my greatest strengths is my organizational skills. I
enjoy having a clean and tidy workspace. I am also a strong leader and task
oriented. I am reliable and eager to help others. Another strength I have is
I enjoy working with children and seeing things from their perspective. I am
an understanding person who wants to make a difference in the world. I am
also a person who can multi-task and you definitely need to multi-task while
teaching!
I try to allow myself to be taught by others. I believe each one of us can
benefit from what someone else has to say or teach us. If we allow them to,
we can learn a lot from the people around us. I like to be of assistance to
others, whether it be listening to their problems, giving advice or just
getting on the floor to help them clean up. I want to be a positive role
model for my students and I hope they are proud to follow my lead.
Teachers are always in the spotlight, whether they are in the classroom or out
around town. Children look up to teachers and expect them to be an example to
follow. As teachers, we need to live Christ-like lives and demonstrate a
continual growing relationship with Him. God has gifted me with a loud voice
and the ability to be a strong leader. I have the gift of getting in front of
a room and “taking charge”. Most of all, God has blessed me with a love for
children and a desire to see them excel. I love the Lord and I am thankful
for the gifts he has given me.
My philosophy of education would not be complete without my definition of a
master teacher. A master teacher is one who is willing to be taught. Being a
teacher means you are flexible and open to new ideas. Master teachers are
realistic in setting goals for the future and reflecting the needs of their
profession. I believe a master teacher should use appropriate methods to
reach all the students in their classroom, no matter what their learning
styles. As teachers we need to be able to adjust our plans to the students we
are teaching, taking into consideration how they learn best. I believe
teachers are human in making mistakes just as children are. That being said,
I also think we should be willing to learn from those mistakes and change our
behavior if necessary. Master teachers are always learning themselves and
continually growing in their own education as well. I have always said, “The
day I am not willing to grow in my learning, and am not willing to accept new
ideas, is the day I become an inefficient teacher”. I will always be striving
to become a master teacher.
I am truly looking forward to this year and where the Lord wants to lead me.
I am excited to meet my new students and work alongside them. I know the year
will bring many new challenges but I am hopeful I will learn greatly through
them and come out a stronger teacher. I will work hard to keep my
parents/guardians as involved in and around the classroom as possible. I know
the most efficient way to teach our children is work together and help them
succeed in their education.