Welcome to my classroom!

It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself to you. My name is Mrs. Claire Miranda-Tester. Students affectionately call me Mrs. Miranda.  I am the Fourth Grade Language Arts teacher. I graduated from the University of Asia and the Pacific with a Bachelor's Degree in Humanities and a Master's Degree in Development Education. With a very good Humanities background, I appreciate diversity in all settings. I find that I thrive in an environment rich with culture, eager to learn similarities and differences. I firmly believe that the best way to teach is to connect with my students by knowing their background and interests. I have done so successfully over the last fifteen years, the last five in a public school setting. 

As a teacher, I hope to motivate students to do their best and extend their own personal limits. In my classroom, students must commit to a level of performance that challenges them to do better with each given opportunity to further achieve their potential. My expectations of my students are high and by the end of the school year, students realize that they can achieve any goal set before them, that all issues and materials read and discussed play a big part in their world, and that they are all part of the human race with a purpose and mission in life. These are valuable lessons that they can apply to their lives beyond the classroom.

 My teaching style is best described as humanistic in nature. I can bring into my classroom not just different literary genres but also film, the visual arts, theater exercises, music and television thereby enriching the English learning experience. By expanding upon previous knowledge, exploring challenging situations, and contemplating man’s strengths and weaknesses, students increase their future personal successes greatly. I prefer to vary my instructional methodologies to incorporate diverse activities and material to continuously engage and hold the interest of the students.

Along with providing a consistent learning environment with my students, I believe it is equally important that the parents and teachers constantly engage in open communication. It is the role of the teacher to keep parents abreast of concepts learned, disciplinary issues, and progress reports. Classdojo is the easiest way for me to communicate with parents and to showcase to you all the good work your children are doing. 

Whew! That's it, folks! I look forward to seeing you at our parent-teacher conferences! Stay safe. Stay healthy. Make today better than yesterday but less than tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Miranda-Tester