Let Me Introduce Myself...
My name is Stephan James Santiago. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my family, playing with my dog, watching movies, playing video-games, and reading comic books.
It was not until my second year of college that I decided to be a teacher. After forming a strong bond with my high school English teacher, I knew that if I was ever going to teach, English would be the subject.
When it comes to a child's education, I believe that a strong, positive relationship between the student and the teacher is necessary for not only the student's success, but also the teacher's. In my own education experience, that teacher/student relationship was nonexistent, and looking back I am able to see how important it was that I had that relationship with my teachers.
My philosophy of teaching stems from this relationship. I believe that every student deserves to have someone that believes in them, someone who will not give up on them. The students that we are teaching are the future of society, and providing them with life skills and an open mind are some of the most important things we as teachers can offer them. Creativity is something that I value heavily, and is something that I believe each student should discover themselves. As a teacher, it is my job to help my students discover their creativity.
