To reflect upon myself as a teacher, I must first reflect upon the purpose of education as I believe it to be. Education should assist in the development of each student so they can reach their personal goals, live satisfying lives, become members of a just society and contribute to the global community. This can best be achieved by providing a balanced education with opportunities for individuals to reach their potential in all areas – intellectual, social, emotional and physical. These objectives involve life-long learning. My role as a teacher is to motivate, encourage and prepare my students to become life-long learners.

It is my responsibility to provide a positive and supportive environment that facilitates the development of confident and enthusiastic learners. This type of learning environment is based on a shared respect for everyone and everything; involves the acceptance and appreciation of the diversity around us; and requires a strong classroom community. Students also need to feel emotionally and physically safe in order to become actively engaged and develop responsibility for their own learning, without the fear of failure. I feel that this is accomplished by developing relationships of trust and caring with my students. Taking time to know their personalities, interests, personal challenges and learning needs also allows me to provide meaningful learning experiences that can be adapted for individual success.

I feel that teaching with an inquiry-based approach will help to prepare my students for the challenges of the 21st century. This approach encourages students to make connections, question, hypothesize, create knowledge and reflect. These processes support the development of essential skills such as critical thinking, creative thinking, problem-solving, and media and digital literacy. Using strategies such as cooperative learning and group project work also encourages the development of necessary inter-personal skills.

I believe that teaching should always involve collaboration; working with parents and families; coordinating with colleagues and other students; consulting with colleagues and other professionals; accessing community resources; and connecting students to their community and environment. These types of collaborative efforts results in valuable learning opportunities for both the students and teacher.

I view myself as a life-long learner and expect to see my philosophy evolve with increased knowledge and experience. I believe that my joy of learning and passion for teaching is a direct result of my personal experiences with exceptional teachers throughout my education. Having the opportunity to assist students achieve their educational goals is both a challenge and a privilege. I will continue to strive to provide the type of education I value; I will continue to strive to make a positive difference for every student I have the privilege to teach.