Joan Claybourn

Teaching Philosophy

Important skills I want to teach my students

I want to teach my students to be lifelong learners who are able to ask questions and hear and understand other perspectives. They will need to be global citizens who are able to work and be meaningful contributors in a group.

Teaching Methods to Reach these Goals

I involve children in cooperative learning with others their age, as well as older and younger students. I encourage student-driven discussions where everyone participates and discusses each other’s ideas.

My favorite projects

Every other year we do an economic unit. During this unit, students learn about managing and making money, running a business, and working as a team. As a culminating activity, each classroom designs a business and the students may visit each business and have an opportunity to purchase goods or services.

What I like best about teaching at Seven Hills

I like teaching at Seven Hills because of the sense of community both with the faculty and the school families. I also like that the supportive administration allows me some freedom to design my own effective teaching style.