Teaching Beliefs and Philosophy

Teaching Philosophy/Metaphor

A teacher is a juggler. Educators have many balls in the air at a time that each require appropriate care and attention. The areas that I will juggle include:

1. Ensuring students feel safe and welcome in their environment.

Every student deserves to feel comfortable in their school. Relationship building must be a priority to ensure students know that they belong in my classroom. Additionally, students must be represented in our classroom environment and in the content they learn. Therefore, diversity must be celebrated and represented throughout our environment and our learning. I will achieve this by including books about all types of people and families in my classroom library and teaching about different traditions and celebrations from all cultures.

2. Being critical of the norms and worldviews that are upheld and encouraged in my teaching.

Learning about the many different traditions, celebrations, and cultures present in our classroom and around the world is also a way to disrupt the Euro-Western cultural hegemony in Saskatchewan. It is essential for me to examine what is represented in the curriculum and what is taught through the hidden curriculum that shapes students’ perception of what is “normal” or “correct” in our school and our society. To counteract these norms and Euro-Western perspectives, it is essential for me to be an anti-racist educator and to strive to include Ways of Knowing into my teaching that differ from my own as a white settler Canadian. I recognize the importance of responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action to work towards Reconciliation in education, and of taking guidance from Indigenous peoples to include other ways of knowing, assessing, and teaching to give all students a valuable, rounded education.

3. Including students as active participants in their education.

For students to learn, they need to be interested and invested in their education. I will emphasize actions like de-fronting our classroom to create dynamic classroom spaces that allow students to use their creativity and get involved in their learning. I will plan hands-on, inquiry-based, student-led lessons that challenge and stimulate all learners. I will also involve students by working together to create assessment plans and by asking for their input when providing choices on ways that they can demonstrate what they’ve learned.

4. Adapting lessons for students’ individual needs.

Alongside offering choices and valuing student involvement, I will work to adapt my teaching practices to ensure that each student gets the support they need to succeed in my classroom. I recognize that each child in my class is an individual with unique strengths and challenges who will benefit from different supports to help them learn and grow. I will encourage the use of body breaks, fidgets, balance chairs, and other resources that help students focus, and will ensure students have the resources they need to understand content and show what they know.

5. Fostering respect for the others, including people and the natural world.

Finally, I will imbue my students with a sense of respect and responsibility to be good citizens to other people, plants, and animals in our environment. I will incorporate learning from nature as often as possible and will prioritize collaborative and positive relationships between students in my classroom.

Ultimately, I recognize that juggling this many balls is a challenge for everyone, and therefore there may be times when a ball is briefly dropped. However, my commitment to continual professional development and collaboration will allow me to update my practices regularly and to lean on my school community (i.e., administrators, student support teachers, educational assistants, community members, consultants, etc.) to help me improve my juggling skills and keep everything working in harmony.