Mandy Hayes

Teaching Philosophy

Important skills I want to teach my students

I encourage my students to become thoughtful readers and effective communicators. I want them to find connections between their reading, their lives, and the world around them. I also work with students to develop their “voice” in their writing and oral presentations.

Teaching methods to reach these goals

Students work both independently and collaboratively to explore the literature selections through writing, discussions, and projects. I design my lessons to scaffold students’ learning and to enable them to learn about topics and skills through multiple modalities. Whether they are working together as a group to create a Keynote presentation or designing a poster to “sell” their favorite independent reading book, students are developing their language skills in meaningful and authentic ways.

My favorite projects

There are many activities that I enjoy, but I am particularly proud of the students’ writing portfolios. Filled with their essays, narratives, poems, and stories, these portfolios demonstrate the growth that students have experienced over the course of the year and allow them to reflect upon what they have accomplished as writers and learners.

What I like best about teaching at Seven Hills

I appreciate how well I get to know each student. The small class size, parental involvement, team structure, and close-knit community enable me to individualize the support, structure, challenges, and assessments that I provide for each child. The Seven Hills environment allows me to educate effectively.