Teaching Manifesto

I am a white, able-bodied female. I am an advocate for those around me. Though I have not faced social issues such as racism, discrimination, or ableism personally, I know my social position as a future educator is to be an advocate and voice for those around me facing injustice. Throughout my time in education, I have read many articles that have made me more aware of who I am and the underlying biases I may carry. One big part of my learning and understanding of my social positioning came from an article titled “White Privilege: unpacking the invisible knapsack.” this article made me realize just how privileged I am based on the color of my skin. https://nationalseedproject.org/images/documents/Knapsack_plus_Notes-Peggy_McIntosh.pdf

Purpose of teaching and learning: The purpose of teaching is to share knowledge with younger generations to ensure history does not repeat itself. The purpose of learning is to ensure we have ways to communicate with one another and learn about the world around us.

Important pedagogies and theories
To me, the mirrors, windows, and doors theory is one of the most important. In this theory, we understand a mirror reflects who you are, windows see other worlds and lives, and sliding doors allow us to see other worlds with diversity going both ways.https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Mirrors-Windows-and-Sliding-Glass-Doors.pdf

Adaption
Adaption is one of the most essential parts of being a teacher. Being able to attend to students’ needs and adapt to those situations is crucial, and so is adapting your lesson plans for students at a different level than others. https://www.sptrb.ca/SPTRB/Professional_Standards/Standards_of_Professional_Conduct_and Competence/Competence/SPTRB/Professional_Standards/Standards_of_Professional_Conduct_ and_Competence/Competence.aspx?hkey=5b199f24-b455-4dc9-a7fd-9de74e60b393 

Inclusion
All students should be included in daily lessons despite cultural differences, language differences, or other diversities. Students should also be given the opportunity to collaborate with each other, creating inclusive classroom communities.

Recognization & Advocation
Recognizing not only includes recognizing personal biases and wrongdoings, but it also means recognizing when discrimination or unfair things are happening in classrooms and speaking out to make a change. https://www.gegi.ca/

Reconciliation
A huge piece of being an educator is making sure our students understand the tragedies of the past and recognize the importance of working toward reconciliation. As educators, we are responsible for incorporating indigenous ways of knowing and learning in our classes. https://socialiststudies.com/index.php/sss/article/view/23527/17411

Representation
My biggest goal as an educator is to ensure that all my students feel seen, heard, and represented in my classroom. Ensuring that students see themselves in the classroom community encourages comfortability and inclusion.