Mr. Crosson's Home Page
KEEP ON KEEPING ON!
"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count; it's the life in your years."
Abraham Lincoln
Welcome everyone to Western Sierra! It is my privilege to work alongside your family this school year. May we all reach incredible new heights as we support and challenge each other in our journey of new opportunities.
Philosophy of Education
A basic foundation of my career has always been that just because education has been implemented learning in a very similar way for years doesn’t mean that educators need to keep teaching in that same manner today. Teachers and Administrators alike should commit to being life-long learners. Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it this way, “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Being part of an educational institution, like WSCA, that likes to think “outside the educational box” is the team for me.
Education in today’s society should encompass three aspects. Initially, the intention of education should be to provide students with a basis of knowledge. When an environment within the school is one where students are challenged and encouraged to think, problem-solve, and create, real learning takes place. Schools should educate students with a knowledge of core information that is both broad and deep in the content matter. Secondly, education should encourage and aid students to become problem solvers, particularly those that deal with real-life situations. Students often ask questions such as: “But what is the point of this? How is this useful?” Education is useless if students cannot apply and use this information in practical situations. Staff who “practice what they teach” and show relationships between content and the world around them can be very motivating for their students. Additionally, this form of education may allow students to find a passion or a pursuit that both interests them and is viable in terms of their place in society. By exposing students to situations in which they are asked to apply theoretical situations to real-life applications, they may be able to consider the social and economic effects of what they are learning. Thirdly, education should provide an atmosphere of fun and excitement. Enthusiasm and excitement should be contagious by the staff. Were the rigid, sterile classrooms the ones that made the greatest impact on you? Probably not! With this love for learning, the school culture should be a place that students feel safe and respected. When trying to motivate students to be open and comfortable to share their thoughts and ideas, they must feel safe to do so. The motto that I live by each day is "To do each day well". By making it a habit of praising those who show concern for others and know that it is ok to “mess up” as long as learning has taken place, an educator can begin to build a learning community that not only builds students’ self-esteem, it also promotes an environment conducive to learning. WSCA is committed to developing this type of environment. Go and make a difference, and have a great year!
