Julie Guminey

Teaching Philosophy

Important skills I want to teach my students

The most important skills I want to teach my students are to be creative thinkers and to develop independence.

Teaching methods to reach these goals

I use a wide variety of teaching methods, including offering collaborative projects on which the students create and work together, giving the students many choices in their school work and assignments, using a variety of assessments to accommodate all learning styles, and providing opportunities for students to be in charge of their own learning.

My favorite projects

One of my favorite activities of the year is our annual Poetry Cafe. My students write a collection of their own poems throughout the year. In May, students choose the favorite from among those poems they have written, and recite the piece for their parents. I also enjoy our World Geography Summit. This activity takes place every other year. All Unit III students discuss several global issues throughout the year. Then each class focuses on an issue and creates a presentation to share with the rest of the school. We set up our summit in the cafeteria and students from the other classes come through and listen and learn about important world matters from our students. It is a remarkable experience.

What I like best about teaching at Seven Hills

I am so lucky to work at such an amazing school. I love that I am able to try new things in my classroom, that I am given so many opportunities to continue to learn and grow as a teacher, and I love working so closely among my team of teachers. As a team we are constantly sharing ideas, collaborating and discussing ways to help our students.