Bianca L. Lopez
About Me
I am a senior at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing a bachelor's Degree in Human Development and Family Sciences as well as a 4th through 8th grade Math Teaching Certificate under the UTeach program.
​
With the knowledge and resources provided to me over the course of my degree, I plan to educate students while also considering their development and mental health. I strive to be a teacher that connects with their students and provides a safe learning environment.
_edited.jpg)
Who is Bianca?
Objective
I am hoping to teach mathematics in either the San Antonio, Houston, and Austin areas.
Teaching Philosophy
An educator’s teaching philosophy dictates how well their students will learn and the quality of their education. Understanding how students learn best (and what to avoid) is crucial before stepping foot in a classroom. Learning about different perspectives and ideas is key to finding the right philosophies to use.
​
Jean Piaget, for example, theorized that students obtain knowledge as they acquire experience. In opposition to Darwin’s nature perspective, he believed that people are not born with a certain level of intelligence. In the eyes of the constructivist perspective, intelligence is reliant solely on what one experiences throughout the course of their life. Therefore, teaching through active learning is more effective than cookie-cutter, lecture-based classrooms. Students must have the opportunity to solve complex problems, and teachers should facilitate discussions with the students. The key is to formulate ideas and questions, not constantly test students to see what “level” they are at.
​
In opposition to the behaviorist perspective, students should not be bribed to learn through rewards. Everyone is hardwired to learn, and the usage of a reward system can do more harm than good. Having this system in place can cause students to believe that learning is only about completing tasks and receiving a correct answer. There is more to learning than arriving at the correct answer. It is about finding out how and why you got the answer in the first place. Students should be able to understand the methods they are using and why they work. They should be allowed to ask many questions so they can grasp this understanding. Students should not have to memorize equations and only trust them because it was given to them by a teacher.
​
When I become a teacher, I never want my students to feel like they are not allowed to question me. I never want them to believe that they are stuck on a certain intelligence level. I hope to become a safe space for learning, where students are allowed to make mistakes without judgment. I want them to know that they are capable of learning anything and everything they set their minds to.