My Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy has not wavered over the years. It is simple in words, but it is carried through with passion and commitment: All students can learn....you just need to find that inner spark and ignite it!

So, what experiences have shaped this philosophy?

My views on student learning have mostly been shaped by classroom practice, and are heavily influenced by the learning theories of Gagne and Vygotsky. Gagne suggests that basic skills need to be developed before higher level expectations are put upon them; and Vygotsky emphasizes that students’ skills have no limits when developed with teacher guidance. Tasks need to be developmentally appropriate for students who possess special education challenges. Sound pedagogical awareness coupled with a safe, inclusive environment enables teachers to effectively foster students' growth and understanding. Given the right tools and opportunity, I believe that all children can affect change and overcome many obstacles to learning.

I believe that learning is an active process -- one that is facilitated by a cohesive multidisciplinary team whose focus is to meet students’ social, emotional and academic needs. It is imperative that educators are flexible to meet students where they are, and scaffold their success based on what the students can handle. By fostering a child’s natural inquisitiveness and reinforcing concepts in fun, meaningful ways, essential skills can be developed. Differentiated instruction, creative use of technology, and empowering students to demonstrate how they learn best will assist student learning immensely. These tenets are extremely important when I think about the framework of student learning.

What were my “defining moments” along the way? Music has always played a big role in my life. In my childhood I was part of a music group under the Carl Orff method. The Orff philosophy is to experience music first then intellectualize it. Incorporated in his vision, is speech and drama, sounds and movement – very much active participation! I translate his methodology into my teaching practices in the form of "play" or experiencing concepts first without the students realizing that they're learning (ie: playing Battleship practises coordinate grid skills; in the gym, basketball skills involve pivoting -- but also you can teach angles, cardinal directions and the analog clock). Carl Orff supported a constructivist approach, which shapes my own teaching beliefs - teach the child to enjoy learning first (hook them with interest, motivation and active participation), then teach the concept concretely.

Can I pinpoint “the teacher” who inspired me to pursue this wonderful vocation? I remember one humanities teacher in high school who encouraged student-led presentations on final projects. In retrospect, I think she was the first one who encouraged students to use their strengths to demonstrate how they learned the material for the course. I recall students sharing poems, songs, plays and artwork to show what they knew. Only later on did I understand that she was teaching to our multiple intelligences. I also knew the kind of educator I didn’t want to be like. A former teacher of mine used sarcasm, singled out students in front of others and constantly held challenges over our heads. I vowed never to do that to anyone. My favourite quote is “Self-esteem is not something we give; it's what we need to stop taking away”.

Differentiated Instruction empowers students and builds self-confidence. It’s a method of teaching that encourages educators to meet the needs of all students. The focus is to build on student’s strengths, using continuous assessment as a guide to their instruction, which changes in response to their needs. It involves presenting concepts, information and skills in non-traditional ways that suit the diverse learning styles found in any classroom. What I love about D.I. is that teachers need to understand who their clientele is and teach to the whole child.

Changing information so that people can relate to the material and understand it better isn't new -- we do it as parents everyday, helping our children learn according to their age levels, as well as putting difficult terminology into "layman's terms". I first saw D.I. demonstrated in the seventies on the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati, where Venus Fly Trap is explaining the atom to an - ahem - "alleged" gang member. Venus is engaging this young man in the content by relating the atom to his personal experiences, language and readiness -- that's Differentiated Instruction - he is just presenting science in a non-traditional way to suit the needs and interests of the young man!