My Teaching Philosophy
I believe that as an educator it is my job to know and understand who my audience is each and every day that I am there with my young learners, and that it is their right to have an educator who is willing to learn and develop alongside of them. I strive to teach in a way that ensures I utilize my knowledge about who my learners are and what they wish to achieve both as individuals and as a class community. This provides me with a solid foundation which allows me to customize a learning experience unique to them; which is the first step to igniting students curiosity and excitement in the classroom!
I strongly believe that we often learn the most in the moments when we feel we aren't learning at all. I frequently see students taken aback after an exciting and enjoyable lesson they felt was just a "fun" activity, when I begin asking them deeper questions about what they just experienced they seem amazed at the knowledge they have gained from such an enjoyable teachable moment. I feel it is important to help students capture those "Ah-ha!" moments and relish in them, and that it is equally, if not more important to recognize moments of "failed" attempts and how to learn and move forward from them. We cannot truly learn without making mistakes along our paths to success, it is in the midst of our mistakes that we are made to think harder and look deeper at what it is we are truly trying to learn.
I believe that as an educator I have just as much to learn in a day as my students do, and I feel it is important that they see me as not only a role model of good and just behaviour but also a model of constant learning, growth, and development. The day I start believing that I have nothing left to learn is the day that I have nothing left to give to my students. To me teaching is not a job, it is a lifestyle; it is a constant cycle of give and take between the students, community, and myself. It is my philosophy that no one shares a lesser or greater role in the ecosystem of my learning environment, everyone has a part to play that is just as important as any other.
When students leave my classroom I hope that they are able to value themselves not only as learners but also as strong and capable explorers, interpreters, and teachers of the world that they belong and thrive within. It is my goal as an educator to help them recognize, understand, and realize all of their unlocked potential and much more!
I strongly believe that we often learn the most in the moments when we feel we aren't learning at all. I frequently see students taken aback after an exciting and enjoyable lesson they felt was just a "fun" activity, when I begin asking them deeper questions about what they just experienced they seem amazed at the knowledge they have gained from such an enjoyable teachable moment. I feel it is important to help students capture those "Ah-ha!" moments and relish in them, and that it is equally, if not more important to recognize moments of "failed" attempts and how to learn and move forward from them. We cannot truly learn without making mistakes along our paths to success, it is in the midst of our mistakes that we are made to think harder and look deeper at what it is we are truly trying to learn.
I believe that as an educator I have just as much to learn in a day as my students do, and I feel it is important that they see me as not only a role model of good and just behaviour but also a model of constant learning, growth, and development. The day I start believing that I have nothing left to learn is the day that I have nothing left to give to my students. To me teaching is not a job, it is a lifestyle; it is a constant cycle of give and take between the students, community, and myself. It is my philosophy that no one shares a lesser or greater role in the ecosystem of my learning environment, everyone has a part to play that is just as important as any other.
When students leave my classroom I hope that they are able to value themselves not only as learners but also as strong and capable explorers, interpreters, and teachers of the world that they belong and thrive within. It is my goal as an educator to help them recognize, understand, and realize all of their unlocked potential and much more!