Hope. If I were to boil all my teaching philosophies down to one word, it would be hope. When in grade-school, I was the student who needed the extra push from a caring teacher to be successful in the classroom; this is why I do what I do - to be that teacher for the student just like me! Currently, I am teaching 5th Grade Reading/Math in North Philadelphia at a turnaround charter school. The challenges I have been faced with have led me to doing extensive research in reaching the populations that so separately need a foot...or hand-up, instead of a hand-out in this world!