By: Michelle Haug
My teaching philosophy begins with a strong belief that the purpose of education is not to mould, nor conform students to fit the norms or traditional ideals of the past. Rather, the purpose of education is to teach students; teach them to inquire, critically think, gain understanding, and then make informed decisions based on their findings. In relation to this is the value I see in the curriculum. Curriculum to me is a document that I will use as a tool to guide my teaching in order to fulfill the outcomes and indicators for students to attain each year. While the curriculum is an essential part in guiding me as an educator, my pedagogy and the reasonings behind my choices are more important, as they are what bring curriculum to life in the learning and development of students. Therefore, curriculum should be taught in a way that promotes anti-oppressive behaviour and social change in a meaningful and engaging way. I aspire to help students to identify and unmask traditional values that reinforce racism, sexism, ableism, etc., so that together we can bring to light and address discrimination, oppression, and marginalization in society.
The learning environment I aim to establish is one that is safe, and trauma informed. My rationale for having a safe, trauma informed environment comes from the reality that one-third of Canadian children have suffered some form of maltreatment before the age of fifteen resulting in trauma (Statistics Canada, 2014). This trauma can have detrimental and lasting affects on a student’s perception, behaviour, relations, growth, development, and learning abilities. The classroom/school often becomes a haven to students with trauma, thus by providing these students with an environment that is safe and trauma informed they can heal and overcome these circumstances without it negatively impacting their education. Essentially, it is my belief that all students benefit and have the potential to succeed when they are provided a safe learning environment.
Furthermore, I promote a learning environment that supports social change which requires learning to be interactive, engaging, and experienced through various ways with multiple resources. This environment fosters creativity, imagination, self-expression, reflection, and deeper inquiry, while stimulating students’ interests, needs, beliefs, values, experiences, and understandings of their world. This combination will allow students the tools that are necessary to be informed, prepared, and successful citizens in society and further the change needed throughout the world.
My approach to teaching will include cross-curricular and inclusive activities, that offer multiple perspectives and adaptations in learning. This offers students more opportunities to learn from others in the community, while being more reflective of experiences in real life. This will involve incorporating, in an inclusive way, various resources, perspectives, and teachings of Indigenous peoples, environmental education, and multiculturalism. These elements are critical to social change, while further promoting real life experiences that could allow students greater achievement in society.
In addition, I believe that assessments are essential to monitoring students’ growth and understanding, and to identifying their unique learning needs. This means using a variety of authentic assessments that are ongoing, multimodal, and diagnostic that are both formative and summative. I see assessments as an indispensable tool for me as an educator that will allow me to learn, grow, alter, and evolve in both my pedagogy and relations with students. Effective assessments ensure all students receive information in a way that is best suited to them. Assessments should take on a multifaceted approach and be administered in a variety of ways that accentuates the learning styles of each student.
My primary role as an educator is to be a role model for students, one that embraces and endorses both difference and change through both my attitudes and actions inside and outside of the classroom. Furthermore, my role includes being a learner to the needs, interests, and experiences of all students which will enable me to set relevant and realistic tasks and goals. This will also guide me as an educator to differentiate my teaching strategies, methods, and techniques, so that I can meet students’ learning styles and abilities allowing all students a more just and equitable opportunity to learn, develop and succeed. At the heart of my teaching philosophy is my belief that every child matters, no matter their background, experiences, or abilities. Thus, every child should be loved and provided with an education that not only offers them equal opportunity to succeed and become who they aspire to be but fosters a lifelong love for learning. I acknowledge that my philosophies will never remain static and through both self-reflection and self-evaluation of my beliefs and values, strategies, methods, and techniques, my philosophy will continually change, adapt, and expand throughout my career based on my experiences and relations with students, parents, colleagues, and life.