Philosophy of Education
​“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” -Malcolm X
Thomas Learning Academy II recognizes the importance of play for children. Play is the basis for learning in our programs. Thomas Learning Academy II works to empower children, promote individuality, and develop strong partnerships with families while creating an environment that helps young children attain physical, cognitive, social, and emotional achievements, preparing them for the next step in life. Each child brings to Thomas Learning Academy II a history of life experience and cultural heritage. Partnerships between families and the center are essential to the growth and development of the individual child. We strive to create and promote these strong partnerships with families and create a sense of community that is thoughtful, warm and compassionate. Thomas Learning Academy is an inclusive early care and education center. I believe that children of all ability levels are entitled to the same opportunities for participation, acceptance and belonging in my program. I will make every reasonable accommodation to encourage full and active participation of all children in my program based on their individual capabilities and needs. We offer a space where your child can have an area for peace and quiet time. We also provide resources for early intervention, early childhood consultation, mental health, and behavior health services.
I support Lev Vygotsky learning theory because I believe that children learn through social interactions from individuals especially their peers. Lev Vygotsky was a renowned Soviet psychologist and social constructivist who developed the socio-cultural theory of learning. His theory emphasizes the role of social interaction and cultural context in the development of cognition and learning. Vygotsky’s work is often referred to as the social development theory or sociocultural theory. In our preschool classroom, the teacher sets up a pretend grocery store. The children take on different roles, such as cashiers, customers, and store managers. Through dramatic play, children engage in problem-solving, negotiation, and language development. They learn communication skills, and practice cooperation and sharing. During science experiments, students work in a small group to conduct observations and make predictions. They discuss their findings, share ideas, and collectively analyze the data. By engaging in collaborative learning, students can learn from each other, gain different perspectives, and build on each other’s knowledge. For example, the teacher uses maps, artifacts, and primary sources to help students understand historical events or different cultures. By engaging with these cultural tools, students develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter and how it relates to their own lives.
Group learning is a teaching strategy that we primary use in our classroom. I believe that this teaching method is most effective because if one child is not developmentally on the same level having them in one group can increase the chances of them learning the material through their peers.
Dear Mrs. Poy,
This is Medinah Muhammad from your graduation class at Mastery Charter Thomas Campus in 2012. I’m currently enrolled in Harcum College do earn my associate degree in early childhood education. I’m writing this letter to express how gracious and thankful I am that you were my teacher in high school. I know that you could never say it, but I believed in my heart I was your favorite student or as you would call me your star pupil. The purpose of this letter is to explain to you how much you have changed my life since 11th grade.
My first 3 years at Mastery was difficult for me because I was not use to a strict and structure school coming from a dysfunctional middle school. I knew that you saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. You had the best qualities as a teacher such as patience, accountability, communication skills, empathy and most important passion. Mrs. Poy was so gentle with me and talked to me like a human being and not like a high school teenager. She holds a special place in my heart because she was the only teacher that was there for me when I became pregnant in 11th grade. She was determined not to make me another statistic as a young black girl in Philadelphia having a baby dropping out of high school. It was days that I was not motivated and wanted to give up because it was a lot of pressure and very overwhelming. Not only did society put me in a category but also my family did as well. Mrs. Poy ended up bringing me healthy breakfast in the morning to make sure I ate for me, and the baby and she even would stay late after school to have mini meetings with me to check on my mental state.
This showed me that just because you are a teacher doesn’t mean you can’t build a personal connection and relationship with your students for them to succeed. The further I got along with my pregnancy the more days I would miss. She had my direct number so she would bring my homework assignments to my mother’s house so that I wouldn’t fall behind and to ensure I would graduate on time with the rest of my class. I invited her to my baby shower, and she even came to visit me in the hospital. This meant a lot to me because I was feeling defeated and devasted about what my life would be like as a high school mother. I lost a lot of friends and even some family members disowned me, but she never left my side. Her impact on me was to never give up no matter what life throws at you and always keep my head up and push forward.
In conclusion, I was about to graduate and walk down the aisle with the help from Mrs. Poy. It brought tears to my eyes seeing my 1-year-old son clap for me as I danced across the stage to get my high school diploma, and I knew that she played the biggest part in it. Once I invited her to my wedding in 2014, I expressed how thankful I was to have such a wonderful person in my life that seen something in me that I didn’t see in myself. So, to sum it all up “Mrs. Poy I didn’t stop yet I’m walking across a bigger stage in 2025 thanks for believing in me, it’s up!”
My plan for continuing my education is to be earning my Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education in May 2025. My time at Harcum college have taught me an abundance of not only knowledge but also classroom management about children from infants to 4th graders. I will be a junior at my next online college that allows me to take achromous classes with transferable credits to receive my bachelor’s degree in ECE. Since I am already the owner/ Director/ Administrator at my current childcare center at Thomas Learning Academy II will officially be the Lead Teacher for the PreK Counts Program with my teacher certificate.
