Who am I?
My name is Keli Heroux, my pronouns are she/her. I am a white settler Canadian, living on Treaty 4 territory.
Purpose of Teaching and Learning
I believe that education is for empowering students to grow into their full potential. I believe that the purpose of teaching is to give student’s the skills to succeed, in whatever way they measure success. I believe that teaching plays an important role in student development. I believe in looking at the ‘whole’ student when teaching. The purpose for learning is students are able to gain a curiosity for the wonderful world we live in. Learning can take many forms and I think that is the beauty in it.
Powerful Teaching Pedagogies
Inquiry-Based Pedagogy – I love this pedagogical approach because it fosters deeper learning and critical thinking. This approach guides students in creating their own questions about a particular topic. Using inquiry-based approaches changes the dynamics of a ‘standard’ classroom style by having the teacher as more of a facilitator, rather than using direct instruction. By having the teacher as the facilitator, students are able to independently guide their own learning. I think this skill is vital in creating lifelong learners.
Strength-Based Approach – This approach helps teach students resilience. This teaching pedagogy is important because it is something that can set students up for success for the rest of their lives. A strength-based approach helps students become more aware of themselves and what makes them unique. Identity is important for all areas of development and can help students gain more confidence in their abilities.
Ecological and Social Justice
Through the teaching pedagogies I have focused on above and through others, it will help to contribute to ecological and social justice. Through the inquiry-based approach, you can challenge students to ecological and social justice issues.
*Please refer to my education philosophies page, my professional development plans, and my about me page for more information on my teaching philosophies.*