Meet The Principal

Meet The Principal

EDUCATION	Samuel Karlin skarlin@chicopee.mec.edu	WORK EXPERIENCE
University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA -- C.A.G.S Education Policy, Research and Administration October 1999 - July 2001		Plains Elementary School South Hadley, MA Grade 1, September 1996 - June 1998 September 1999 - June 2001
Lesley University Cambridge, MA -- M.Ed. Curriculum, Instruct. w/ a Special. in the Arts September 1994 - May 1996		Mosier Elementary School South Hadley, MA Grade 4, September 1998 - June 1999
Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY -- B.A. Psychology / Education September 1989 - May 1993		Prospect School Gardner, MA Grade 3, September 1993 - June 1996

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom.
It's my personal approach that creates the climate.
It's my daily mood that makes the weather.
As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.
I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated
or de-escalated, and a child humanized or dehumanized.
-Haim Ginott

     Working together, students, families and teachers can help to ensure that every child reaches his/her full learning potential. That learning must be facilitated by strong communication between home and school. All members of the community share in the responsibility of raising our children. As the educational leaders of the community it is important to educate this broad audience of stakeholders, in the complex educational issues of today. By accomplishing this task well informed decisions can be made. Decisions that will truly improve the state of our children's education.
     Furthermore, every child has the right to an educational environment that is conducive to learning. School must not only be a welcoming place. There must be a strong student centered curriculum built on best teaching practices. This should be written by those who will be teaching it. With a solid curriculum we can work towards creating proactive learners who later become lifelong independent learners.
   All of this takes time, commitment and support from the entire community. As the school principal, it is important to help facilitate the process of creating a welcoming learning community. One that is built upon sound educational practices that will allow all of our children to reach their full learning potential.

UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It's not.
"SO...
Catch!" calls the Once-ler.
He lets something fall.
"It's a Truffula Seed.
It's the last one of all!
You're in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.
And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs.
Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax
and all of his friends
may come back."
-Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss


www.doe.mass.edu www.ascd.org www.naeyc.org	www.rethinkingschools.org/ www.nctm.org	www.ncte.org www.nsta.org www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org

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