Philosophy of Teaching
As a teacher I strive towards creating a sound environment in which the students feel safe and happy. I believe a classroom should be a place of reciprocal communication, where students and teachers are equally engaged in discussion, instruction, questioning, story telling and conversation. Students should be encouraged to develop a keen interest in learning, to feel open to trying new things and to make up their own minds and opinions. When these are put forward in the classroom it creates an atmosphere where students are challenged to see beyond their prior knowledge and develop new perspectives and empathy for others.
Participation and effort in all aspects of classroom and school life is to be promoted and expected from my students. If expectations are high, students will have something positive to aim for and more will be achieved. All students have the potential to succeed, and as a teacher I aim to be an affirmative and motivational guide in reaching this success. If students are exposed to greater opportunities and willing to try new things, they will be able to find skills or knowledge that they are confident in, enjoy or succeed at. Involving community aspects into school life and utilising people from the community to participate in the teaching and learning will enable students to experience more opportunities. I am very passionate about promoting a happy and healthy lifestyle with all students, as I believe a healthy mind enables better cognition in the classroom, more energy to participate and a more content student to socialise with.
I believe that students should be active learners who are engaged in teaching and learning experiences that are well-informed, meaningful and challenging. They also need to be relevant to the students’ lives and build on their prior knowledge. I take the time to get to know my students so I can provide the best possible learning and school experience for them. Tasks and assessment also need to be appropriate to the teaching curriculum, and I endeavour to provide regular feedback to my students and their parents so they can feel confident in the areas they have achieved and know how to improve the areas they are not so confident in.
Any classroom and school is composed of different cultures, ages, genders, and religions and they should all be valued. Each way of life will impact on the students themselves and the way they interact in school life, and thus a variety of teaching styles should be used to cater to this variety of learners. Taking an interest in the students’ lives is integral for students to feel like they are important members of the classroom. Getting to know their family also enables me to learn more about the student. Each child should be treated as an individual mind but not isolated for being unique. I advocate teamwork, friendship, tolerance and effort. The classroom is not only a place for learning but for sharing and understanding. Each child will develop their own values and the class as a group will develop values.
Finally, as a teacher I take the time to reflect on my teaching, in order to make changes or improvements to content, teaching method and resources. I take opportunities to be involved in professional development as it is important for teachers to be aware of policy changes, new methods and technologies.
Teaching is like growing a garden. In the garden there are a variety of plant types, shapes, sizes, colours and heights. All the plants have different requirements for water, sunlight, soil and pruning, so before planting, the garden needs to be well thought out and well resourced. Once planted, all the plants need to be catered for in different ways, so the gardener needs to take the time to assess each plants progress. Although all the plants are different, as a whole they work well together to create a beautiful environment, full of variety and support. Many people will tend to the garden over its lifetime, and will contribute new ideas for making the garden better. The plants need to be nurtured if they are to grow to their potential, much like inspiring the students to achieve their best.
