My Inspiration
I have had so many experiences that have influenced my own life journey and have sparked my love for teaching. Since I was a student I knew I wanted to work with children, but I wasn’t sure of how I could or the impact I would have. It wasn’t until I entered my senior years in high school that I became inspired by my own teachers in mathematics and science. Through their guidance, creativity and caring support, I was able to realize not only the love I had for science and math, but also the desire to begin on a path towards becoming a teacher. It was here that I was able to see the immense impact a teacher has on their students’ lives.
Since that time, I have had even more experiences that have solidified my love for teaching. During my undergraduate degree, I was exposed to a world of cultures and people I had never experienced before. I also continued to volunteer in schools across the city, completed two COOP work placements, and was able to take some time to travel. I was further exposed to the complexity and diversity of school settings and student experience as a member of the Urban Cohort in my Bachelor of Education. Through these diverse experiences, I found my personal philosophies on life and teaching began to take form.
It was in these moments that I realized that teaching was what I was meant to do. After four years of being told to stay away from teaching (hearing things like “There are no jobs.” “The government is better.” “Are you sure you’d make enough money?” “You should stick to science”), I was able to persevere and follow my professional calling. For me, teaching goes beyond job stability, money and ease. Teaching is difficult. Teaching has pushed me more academically, professionally and personally than I could have ever imagined; however, teaching has also shown me the impact a smile can have. Teaching has shown me the importance of relationships. Teaching has gone far beyond a 75 minute block. Teaching has shown me that having high expectations and supporting students can help them believe in themselves. Teaching is what I am meant to do.
Student Success
The primary goal of my practice is to create a safe environment that improves student learning and supports student needs. Through a holistic approach to education, students are able to not only reach curriculum expectations, but are able to develop skills that will help them cross curricularly and throughout their lives. The experiences students have at school will shape them for the rest of their lives. My goal is to be able to support students as they navigate along their individuals journeys to become their best selves.
I also believe that skill and process development in students is necessary in order to prepare them for challenges they will face at school, in the workplace, in their communities and beyond. In coordination with New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL), I design my classroom for all students to develop skills of collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication, citizenship, and character (the 6 C’s). Many of my lessons are designed with an inquiry and project-based approach, allowing students to work together, apply their knowledge to complex, real-world problems and communicate their understanding in a variety of ways. I believe that taking a thematic and spiralled approach to a course is beneficial as will allow for students to make connections within and between all topics within a course. This approach also allows for students to become more connected with the content of the course, fostering intrinsic engagement by providing applicable, meaningful, student-led interactions with course material.
As per a social constructivist perspective, I believe students learn the most when they are able to not only interact personally with the topics they are learning about through their experiences, but also when they are able to learn with others. By having an open classroom that embraces students’ personal and collective experiences, students will be open to a variety of perspectives that will allow for them to think critically about what they are learning.
Relationship building is truly at the core of classroom dynamic and management. By taking the time and effort to build relationships with my students, I am able to meet the needs of all my students and create an environment where every student feels welcomed. If a community is built within the walls of a school, respect and understanding will also become a part of the environment. I hold on tight to an idea that is sometimes forgotten in the world - we are all people. We all have our ups and our downs. We all need to be listened to. This is so important to remember. If we are able to be understanding of this fact, so many issues can be avoided. If students know they are heard, they can build trust. If trust is built, they will be able to learn freely. It’s not always this simple, but it’s a good place to start.
In my classroom, every student can succeed. The individual and social needs, beliefs, and experiences of my students are always embraced, respected and integrated into the learning experience. Differentiated instruction and assessment with a scaffolded approach are used so all students are able to find an avenue for success. In my classroom, differentiation is used in combination with a universal design for learning (UDL) so multiple forms of representation, expression and engagement are provided for each student. Through creating an environment where every student is given an opportunity to learn and represent their learning in ways that make sense to them, every student is able to be successful in their own way.
School Community
Along with student success, an important component of my teaching philosophy revolves around the importance of school community. Many students spend more time at school than they do at home. Many students feel more comfortable and safe in the halls of their school than the halls of their homes. I truly believe that school life goes far beyond the 75 minute block we are given. As a teacher, I fully support and enjoy being a part of extracurricular activities. I also strongly believe that community involvement and citizenship development are important components of the school experience. As seen in the 6 C’s as part of the NPDL, citizenship and character are two skills essential to holistic student development. I believe that students should be given opportunities to be a part of community initiatives involving not only their school but other schools, local parishes, business and foundations. I believe that community involvement and citizenship should be integrated into the curriculum and should become a part of each and every student’s school experience.
As mentioned previously, I do believe relationships are at the core of holistic student success in the classroom; however, I also strongly believe that relationships with parents/guardians, staff and other members of the community is equally as important to the role of a teacher. In my classroom, I remain completely transparent to administrators and parents, always considering student safety. I think it is critical to have ongoing and frequent communication with parents, sharing both concerns and successes regarding their children. I make myself available to parents in a variety of ways so everyone is able to reach me (including using apps, websites, email, telephone and scheduled meetings). I also have an open door policy and feel comfortable having administrators and fellow teachers observe my teaching or even co-teach with me in my class. I am always open to feedback and strive to improve my practice. Teachers really are life-long learners!
I have had so many experiences that have influenced my own life journey and have sparked my love for teaching. Since I was a student I knew I wanted to work with children, but I wasn’t sure of how I could or the impact I would have. It wasn’t until I entered my senior years in high school that I became inspired by my own teachers in mathematics and science. Through their guidance, creativity and caring support, I was able to realize not only the love I had for science and math, but also the desire to begin on a path towards becoming a teacher. It was here that I was able to see the immense impact a teacher has on their students’ lives.
Since that time, I have had even more experiences that have solidified my love for teaching. During my undergraduate degree, I was exposed to a world of cultures and people I had never experienced before. I also continued to volunteer in schools across the city, completed two COOP work placements, and was able to take some time to travel. I was further exposed to the complexity and diversity of school settings and student experience as a member of the Urban Cohort in my Bachelor of Education. Through these diverse experiences, I found my personal philosophies on life and teaching began to take form.
It was in these moments that I realized that teaching was what I was meant to do. After four years of being told to stay away from teaching (hearing things like “There are no jobs.” “The government is better.” “Are you sure you’d make enough money?” “You should stick to science”), I was able to persevere and follow my professional calling. For me, teaching goes beyond job stability, money and ease. Teaching is difficult. Teaching has pushed me more academically, professionally and personally than I could have ever imagined; however, teaching has also shown me the impact a smile can have. Teaching has shown me the importance of relationships. Teaching has gone far beyond a 75 minute block. Teaching has shown me that having high expectations and supporting students can help them believe in themselves. Teaching is what I am meant to do.
Student Success
The primary goal of my practice is to create a safe environment that improves student learning and supports student needs. Through a holistic approach to education, students are able to not only reach curriculum expectations, but are able to develop skills that will help them cross curricularly and throughout their lives. The experiences students have at school will shape them for the rest of their lives. My goal is to be able to support students as they navigate along their individuals journeys to become their best selves.
I also believe that skill and process development in students is necessary in order to prepare them for challenges they will face at school, in the workplace, in their communities and beyond. In coordination with New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL), I design my classroom for all students to develop skills of collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication, citizenship, and character (the 6 C’s). Many of my lessons are designed with an inquiry and project-based approach, allowing students to work together, apply their knowledge to complex, real-world problems and communicate their understanding in a variety of ways. I believe that taking a thematic and spiralled approach to a course is beneficial as will allow for students to make connections within and between all topics within a course. This approach also allows for students to become more connected with the content of the course, fostering intrinsic engagement by providing applicable, meaningful, student-led interactions with course material.
As per a social constructivist perspective, I believe students learn the most when they are able to not only interact personally with the topics they are learning about through their experiences, but also when they are able to learn with others. By having an open classroom that embraces students’ personal and collective experiences, students will be open to a variety of perspectives that will allow for them to think critically about what they are learning.
Relationship building is truly at the core of classroom dynamic and management. By taking the time and effort to build relationships with my students, I am able to meet the needs of all my students and create an environment where every student feels welcomed. If a community is built within the walls of a school, respect and understanding will also become a part of the environment. I hold on tight to an idea that is sometimes forgotten in the world - we are all people. We all have our ups and our downs. We all need to be listened to. This is so important to remember. If we are able to be understanding of this fact, so many issues can be avoided. If students know they are heard, they can build trust. If trust is built, they will be able to learn freely. It’s not always this simple, but it’s a good place to start.
In my classroom, every student can succeed. The individual and social needs, beliefs, and experiences of my students are always embraced, respected and integrated into the learning experience. Differentiated instruction and assessment with a scaffolded approach are used so all students are able to find an avenue for success. In my classroom, differentiation is used in combination with a universal design for learning (UDL) so multiple forms of representation, expression and engagement are provided for each student. Through creating an environment where every student is given an opportunity to learn and represent their learning in ways that make sense to them, every student is able to be successful in their own way.
School Community
Along with student success, an important component of my teaching philosophy revolves around the importance of school community. Many students spend more time at school than they do at home. Many students feel more comfortable and safe in the halls of their school than the halls of their homes. I truly believe that school life goes far beyond the 75 minute block we are given. As a teacher, I fully support and enjoy being a part of extracurricular activities. I also strongly believe that community involvement and citizenship development are important components of the school experience. As seen in the 6 C’s as part of the NPDL, citizenship and character are two skills essential to holistic student development. I believe that students should be given opportunities to be a part of community initiatives involving not only their school but other schools, local parishes, business and foundations. I believe that community involvement and citizenship should be integrated into the curriculum and should become a part of each and every student’s school experience.
As mentioned previously, I do believe relationships are at the core of holistic student success in the classroom; however, I also strongly believe that relationships with parents/guardians, staff and other members of the community is equally as important to the role of a teacher. In my classroom, I remain completely transparent to administrators and parents, always considering student safety. I think it is critical to have ongoing and frequent communication with parents, sharing both concerns and successes regarding their children. I make myself available to parents in a variety of ways so everyone is able to reach me (including using apps, websites, email, telephone and scheduled meetings). I also have an open door policy and feel comfortable having administrators and fellow teachers observe my teaching or even co-teach with me in my class. I am always open to feedback and strive to improve my practice. Teachers really are life-long learners!
“Student success is found in a safe and welcoming space where community and relationships are core priorities, intrinsic engagement with academic concepts is fostered and self discovery, exploration, inquiry and deep learning is encouraged.”