Name
M.A. Curriculum and Instruction '19
Preliminary Multiple Subject Teaching Credential '19
B.A. Integrated Educational Studies '18
Chapman University
"Creativity is now as important in education as literacy."
-Sir Ken Robinson
Education Philosophy
My education philosophy focuses on a student-centered classroom. Student's needs are put first so that all students can be successful. I use a trauma-informed and social-emotional approach to recognize where students are physically and emotionally each day to ensure the best learning environment. I teach content through a Universal Design for Learning approach to acknowledge diverse learning styles and needs. I provide integrated opportunities for kinesthetic, linguistic, interpersonal, and collaboration, while encouraging creativity in the process. I am a passionate arts advocate and utilize technology and interdisciplinary units to make real-world connections to learning. My goal as a teacher is to help students become confident and assertive learners and be active global citizens.
About Me
My name is Marina Ballesteros and I am an elementary educator. I have a Master of the Arts Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a Preliminary Multiple Subject teaching credential from Chapman University. I also graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Integrated Educational Studies (IES) with an emphasis in Teaching and Learning in schools from Chapman University. My minors were Dance and Language and Literacy. I have experience teaching grades K, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
I am from Southern California and chose to attend Chapman because of its IES major and Dance Minor programs. I have always known that I wanted to be an educator. The IES major stood out to me because the courses allowed me to learn about myself and the complexities of established systems in schools and society. Chapman broadened my perspectives and challenged me to be an advocate for social justice and those in marginalized populations.
I have also been a dancer since I was 4 years old. Continuing to
learn about the art form is very important to me. Dance has taught me discipline, creativity, and mind and body connectedness. My goal as an educator is to integrate dance and the arts into my curriculum within my classroom. While learning the arts in their own designated time and space is valuable, I believe that the arts are a vehicle for effective teaching and learning. It engages creativity and can be used to teach all subjects. Therefore, I will make an effort to integrate the arts as much as possible within my own classroom as a method of promoting creativity. I believe learning is done best in a hands-on manner and I believe arts integration is the best way to do this.
My long-term goal is to conduct research on the influence of the fine and performing arts on learning in the K-12 classroom. Specifically, I want to research how an arts-integrated curriculum can facilitate student motivation, accommodate diverse learning styles, and correlate with academic success.
Thank you for visiting my website and please see my contact information below.
Warm Regards,
Marina
Contact
