My Philosophy

Of Teaching

Below is my philosophy of the role of teacher, the art of teaching, the role of the student, the classroom, the purpose of education, and my vision moving forward.

My Vision

I hope to be an educator that does not merely respect every student that walks into my classroom as unique and important but actually celebrates and champions them, knowing when they belong fully and completely they have the most chance for their truest self to be unlocked and their fullest potential reached. And ultimately, I believe I each child in my classroom is a precious gift entrusted to me. Gifts, each one. Though there may be times when I have to creatively uncover the gift they have to give me and the world, the gift is always there. I believe it is a privilege to teach, to be entrusted with the minds and hearts of little ones. While I believe the work of a teacher is not necessarily easy, it is a joy-filled, sacred undertaking, and one I embark into with gratitude.

risk taking is championed.

mistake making is celebrated.

differences are assets.

Kindness is key.

The Teacher

I believe the teacher should be the very image of the things they value and therefore embody the behavior, actions, and thoughts they hope their students to have. Take this writing task of articulating my educational philosophy. I am uncomfortable and feel stuck. But I choose to trust the deep work of sifting and putting-back-together again. I choose to trust this process will ultimately help me. I trust and I try to take risks, allowing peers and mentors to see this, reflect on it, edit it, and guide me through it. I trust the learning process will enlighten me in some way, and I embrace the not-knowing and let go of perfection. I want my students to feel this. I want them to trust and to let go and to feel that learning is the sole task at hand. And so I believe the teacher should be honest and transparent with their strengths and weaknesses and a demonstrator of said risk-taking. The teacher models her hopes for her class-- that her students challenge themselves, they allow peers and guides into the learning process, they embrace mistakes and know knowledge construction is an ongoing journey, they know intelligence is not fixed and they adopt a growth mindset. They see the teacher as guide to this journey, curious and inquisitive and a life-long learner. And the teacher is one who knows they will never fully arrive but constantly shows up.

The teacher embodies the kindness, respect for all, critical thinking, and curiosity that is so desperately needed in this world.

The teacher should be that honest, courageous model and also compassionate and kind. The teacher is filled with emotional warmth and emotional intelligence. She is nurturing and self aware. The teacher should be committed to self-reflection and self-acceptance. They seek to know themselves and cherish themselves, how else can they call upon their students to know and cherish themselves? The teacher balances delicately between seeking excellence and improvement while also deeply trusting in where they are on life’s journey and in their own ability to teach-- the simultaneous striving for the highest potential and the settling of the soul into an acceptance of worthiness. Ultimately the teachers models that tension and that intention; a desire for growth as well as self acceptance. The teacher embodies the kindness, respect for all, critical thinking, and curiosity that is so desperately needed in this world. I also believe the teacher should be buoyed by passion and enthusiasm, and though the work of a teacher can be challenging, it should ultimately be joyful and lifegiving, knowing they are doing the work they were born to do. In doing the work of their soul, the teacher demonstrates that the pursuit of a joyful and life-giving vocation is possible and in doing so she urges each student to find their own joyful path in life.

The teacher is buoyed by passion and enthusiasm.

The Art and the Act of Teaching

The act of teaching is the act of scaffolding, where we set the stage for the student to learn. We might help with the costumes or props, give prompts when they go off script, but we let children be children who put on the play with their play. Teaching is the gentle guidance into confidence, the helping get unstuck, and the creation of frames for new knowledge to be painted into. Teaching is not passively imparting static information but rather actively co-creating wondrous knowledge. Teaching should be personal, differentiated, and fun. And teaching is not control. I believe children are children, not workers. Children are not things to be manipulated or controlled but rather vibrant, complex, emotional, physical, spiritual beings. They are equals, not lessers. They are to be treasured, respected, and valued as individuals. They may need guidance, help, mentoring, or modeling, but they are co-partners in the classroom.

Teaching is scaffolding and partnering with our students and their families.

The Student

The student is the reason for it all, the very core of what education should be. I serve the students, all students. I know each student as unique and important. Each and every one. Every child intelligent, capable, and valuable. Every single blessed one. Students are flesh and blood mattering beings, not concepts or theories. Students are people who hold inherent value and all of our students are valuable. Yes, all. Students who speak all languages, practice all religions, have all types of brains, have all gender identities, have all abilities, have all ethnic backgrounds. All, all, all. All are deserving of an education, and more than that, all are necessary assets within our classrooms.

The student learns best when they know themselves to be an essential asset to the classroom and further see themselves as intellectually capable and worthy. I believe students have many different intelligences and that every child is intelligent in their own way. I believe the student thrives when they realize and discover their gifts. They further thrive when the teacher aides in the unlocking of intrinsic motivation for learning. I believe the student should be encouraged and empowered to trust their intuition, take risks, and make mistakes. I also believe children learn best when they are loved, valued, appreciated, prized, and know they are absolutely essential to their classroom.

Students learn best when they are loved, valued, appreciated, prized, and know they are absolutely essential to their classroom and to the world.

The Classroom

I believe the classroom should be the most safe, comfortable, and warm place to do the most uncomfortable, disequilibrium-inducing, mind-stretching things. The classroom should be a place both safe and sacred, where play is valuable and necessary. The classroom is a place of risky exploration but it is grounded in community, kindness, and trust. Learning must be done in a place where students are able to be noisy, be quiet, share ideas, make messes, make mistakes, fail, succeed, make guesses, explore, and do it all again the next day. The classroom should be where curiosity and rabbit trails are warmly welcomed and there is ample space for questions, confusion, and the messy work of investigation. Creativity and originality should be embraced and there should be an awareness and celebration of our different interests, intelligences, viewpoints, and learning preferences. The classroom should be a place where all students have access to knowledge in a way that fits them and ultimately a place where a culture of shared values and respect for one another is established and securely felt by everyone.

The classroom should be a place To take risks and explore while grounded in community, kindness, and trust.

Education

Education, the umbrella under which all this talk sits. Education is not only our umbrella but our goal. I believe the goal of education should be to create curious, compassionate critical thinkers that will become a force for positive change in this world. Education is the place where we teach learners how to learn, especially in the context of a rapidly changing world. If our students can learn to learn deeply and truly, they will be forever equipped for whatever the future may have in store for them, both individually and collectively. The purpose of education is to hold each child in esteem as unique and capable. It is our task as educators to provide within our curriculum to teach students to know who they are, how to express themselves, and how to think deeply.

we belong to each other.

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