Personal Statement

As an educator and parent I know the extroadinary influence teachers have on students, and how this influence can either see children thrive or decline. It is imperative that each child in my classroom has the opportunity to experience learning each and every day, which is why I am strongly driven to influence my students' lives in positive ways. Whether I have 6 or 26 students I see them all as my own children and our classroom is a place where they can feel welcome, safe and supported in all that we will do. I place immense value on every single child that enters my classroom as they bring with them a great deal of prior knowledge, a rich historical background and precious lived experiences. Therefore it is my strongest belief that all children deserve a quality education and the circumstances to achieve greatness that will prepare them with knowledge, understanding, skills and values to face the twenty-first century (Ministerial Council on education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, 2008).

The professional knowledge that I bring into the classroom empowers me to teach with enthusiasm, confidence and authority. The way in which my students develop physically, socially and intellectually and learn is central to how I plan and teach and I believe in meeting my students where they are at. In addition to their development I have taken on a new understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students as well as the diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds that are in classrooms today. I strongly believe that these factors should not define a student's learning outcomes and I embrace such diversity so learning is relevant. Due to the diverse range of student backgrounds, needs and abilities I will compile thorough student profiles and differentiate in the areas of content, process, product and environment. The National Curriculum with the general capabilities and cross-curricular priorities provide me with a strong framework of what learning is to occur across the school year, and assists me to select appriopriate teaching, assessment and reporting strategies. As today's society is technologically sophisticated I endeavour to incorporate ICT into all learning areas. This will enable my students to use, access, create, communicate, solve problems and work collaboratively with ICT in all aspects of their lives (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2015).

Piaget is quoted as saying "When you teach a child something you take away his chance of discovering it for himself" (Humboldt State University, n.d.). My professional practice encompasses Piaget's constructivist theory of how a child constructs their understanding of the world through discovery. Which is why I strongly advocate play based learning at the heart of my classroom, planning and teaching as "play creates a brain that has increased flexibility and improved potential for learning later in life" (Lester & Russell, 2008, as cited in Early Childhood Australia, 2010). Spontaneity is also at the heart of my teaching, each day I embrace teachable moments that enhance students learning. I pride myself in planning and teaching well designed units and lessons that engage my students and hold them to high expectations through individualised learning goals. By engaging with student data I am then able to become a facilitator to make learning visible to my students so that they become their own teacher (Hattie, 2012). Which then enables me to assess, report, identify necessary support and resources, as well as address questions regarding teaching and learning (Shaddock, 2014).

Professional engagement is an integral and diverse component of teaching and it enables me to be the best teacher that I can be. Just as my students embark on learning journeys each day, so do I, through constant self reflection on the effectiveness of my teaching, collegially and through PD sessions. Professionalism is something I pride myself in and I demonstrate it when interacting with my students, their families, colleagues and the community. I believe it is important to acknowledge a child's parents as their first teachers, and will continue to encourage their support and involvement in the school through strong relationships and learning partnerships (Department of Education, Training and Employment, 2014). I will build such partnerships through regular and open communication, respect for their work as a parent and having an open and welcome classroom environment (DETE, 20141). Further relationships I value immensely are those with the school community, as there is a plethora of knowledge and experience just outside the classroom door that can be used to enrich learning opportunities.

John Cotton Dana was quoted as saying "Who dares to teach must never ceases to learn" which is something I hold close to my heart as I begin each day (Bartelby, 2015). As a teacher I know that the greatest impact I can have on this world is through my students. I hope that I can impart my love for learning and teaching, so that my students will develop the crucial quality of life-long learning and a love of learning (Hattie, 2012).