MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
CHILDREN ARE CAPABLE
Children know what they want, they are exceptional learners, and they can be given control in the classroom
LIMITLESS LEARNING & STUDENT INDEPENDENCE
It is important to give children tools and experiences that will give them transferrable life skills
COMMIT AS AN EDUCATOR
Commit to life-long learning and adapt teaching strategies accordingly
2021 ~ MY FULL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS
Relationships come first in creating a positive learning environment. During my time in the early childhood education program, I began to see the value of building positive, stable relationships with students. I did this by using adult-child interaction strategies (i.e. getting down to the child’s level, asking open-ended questions, repeating what the child says). I think it is important to be treat students with the knowledge that they are unique and capable individuals. To me, they are more than just students and I want to have a holistic approach to my students/classroom setting. At the forefront of my teaching philosophy is this need to be there for my students and provide a warm environment for them to learn in. I have found it helpful to ensure one on one time with each student, communicate and listen to parents/guardians daily, and to make the classroom a personalized space for my students (an example is having pictures of the students’ family posted in places where they do activites). I found it important to offer support and serve not only my students, but their families as well. I loved including guardians in simple everyday activities. For example, I started a New Years Wish board for the children I tutor. This is where parents/guardians could post some wishes they had for their child in the new year, and the students could see what they wrote. Open communication with guardians is important as well. I know a number of my previous mentors used an app called “HiMama” to send parents updates throughout the day. This is a tradition I have adopted with my work as a tutor and it helps keep the family engaged in the learning process. As a camp counsellor, I began to get to know the guardians that would bring their children to camp and the guardians of these campers began to open up to me on a regular basis. I want to continue to be a teacher who builds strong and lasting relationships. I want my students to know that they are heard, cared for, and that I am truly there for them. If my students trust me and know me (and vice versa), it is more likely that they will want to learn and that they will feel safe.
CURRICULUM BASED ON STUDENTS' INTERESTS
A vital part to a student’s education is creating a curriculum that reflects their needs and interests. I consistently ask myself, “how can I connect the curriculum to my student’s interests?” In addition to the curriculum being of interest to my students, I want to ensure that it is at a challenging, but not too challenging, level for them. Through open-ended activities and adaptions, this is how I have met different students at their level. From my experience tutoring, one of my grade four students was having trouble with adding fractions. I worked with this student using pizzas (which he/she loves) and it became easier for the student to understand how to add fractions. Had I not made the activity something that this student would enjoy, there may not have been as great of a result. For engagement purposes, the curriculum should be based around what the student’s interests are.
LIMITLESS LEARNING
I expect the best from my students and I never limit what they can accomplish. Every student’s best may look slightly different, but their best will never be limited by me. It is important that my students help create their goals, gain self-knowledge about what is difficult for them, and to have intrinsic motivation to keep going forward. If there is a goal that they are having trouble meeting, I practice encouraging them to try again and I provide more scaffolding for them to achieve it. I approach future goals for my students as a “not yet, but soon” type of goal. This way, students know that it is okay to be at the level they are at and soon they will be able to reach the next level with hard work. I reinforce resiliency in my students by teaching them that it is okay to be frustrated and make mistakes, but what matters is what comes next. I want to continue to teach my students to take a break when they are frustrated, but to not give up.
STUDENT INDEPENDENCE
In my opinion, it is important to support the growth of student’s independence through a variety of scaffolding techniques. Teaching students how to problem solve, how to manage stress, how to build healthy friendships, how to take care of themselves, and other basics to living should be a part of every teacher’s role. I do not want to just help raise students who are prepared for school tasks, but for anything the future will bring. If I give them the basic tools (i.e. problem solving etc.), they will be able to use these skills inside and outside of the classroom, as well as in the future.
PERSONALIZED ASSESSMENT
Every child is a unique individual with their own way of learning and applying what they have learned. I think that it is best to assess and evaluate students’ understanding of curriculum content in ways they naturally show these skills. For example, instead of giving students a math test, I would try doing one on one breakout math small groups (as I have in the past) where students can practice these curriculum skills in more meaningful ways. This would assess their skills level more so than their ability to memorize knowledge and regurgitate it during tests.
CONCLUSION
Educators have the ability to give students the tools to be independent, more resilient, and capable learners. In conclusion, a holistic view on the students along with curriculum content that relates to their interest and a strong, positive relationship between teacher and student are the main components to my teaching philosophy.
2020 ~ MY FULL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
This is the beginning of my teaching philosophy and it should continue to grow as I do:
A great teacher empowers children and sets a positive example on a regular basis. Exceptional teachers do not merely prepare children to be in school settings, but they allow children to inspire and shape the classroom itself with hopes that they will shape the world one day. Meaningful teaching goes beyond giving students only the resources they need to pass them on to the next level, and gives students the tools they need to become lifelong learners. We do not know what the future holds and training children to follow our model will not prepare them for the real world. To establish an environment consistent with this vision, every child must be treated with their future potential in mind. To foster this, I believe that using curriculum based on the emerging interests of the children in my classroom will be a way to convey their individual uniqueness and create a learning environment that is tailored to them. In ensuring that a curriculum is emergent based, regular collection of anecdotal observations are essential. Using these, specific activities can be designed around the unique goals of each student and classroom. Teaching is not a bottom down profession. In any educational environment, the children have a role to play. Understanding this, I believe that when you give students the agency to choose what they want to do, they will grow by taking their own goals into account with a sense of empowerment. They will begin to see themselves as potential leaders and practice exercising their strengths. Teaching that to try sometimes means to fail and offering coping strategies when things don’t go as planned can help children to become more resilient and it is essential for an educator. Resiliency is a major factor in determining success. Children must be allowed to take safe risks and be given the room for learning from mistakes. In placement, I have witnessed firsthand the power that this can have to make children more resilient individuals. Note that children are still learning and they do not have all of the set skills that adults may have. View mistakes that children make as learning opportunities. A teacher should never limit a child’s capabilities as they are capable of far more than the teacher could imagine. Consistently acknowledging the efforts of students through encouragement will give children intrinsic motivation to pursue their own interests and it will show them that their educator truly sees them. I think that the educator’s philosophy should be ever-changing as they commit to life-long learning and adjust their practices accordingly. Good teachers do not stop their work outside of the classroom. Learning from workshops, peers, and the children themselves is a never-ending endeavor and knowledge is always powerful. As a teacher, I would want to be transparent and show that I too am learning alongside my class. All in all, I do not think it is the teachers job to have all of the answers for their students, but to facilitate an environment that is based around the children themselves, and provide tools that help children to think critically regardless of defeat.