Social-Emotional Learning
My focus for Inquiry II was Social-Emotional Learning. What I wanted to concentrate on was helping students deal with feelings of depression and detachment that are so common in this age group. I think that if we can create a classroom where they feel safe and supported, we can help them succeed not only academically but in all facets of their lives. I think that if teachers were able to educate high school students on the importance of nurturing a healthy mind, the next generation might be able to more easily detect when their minds are feeling unhealthy and they could get the help they need sooner. The idea of “Emotional Intelligence” or “EQ” has been around since the 80s but SEL in the classroom was a trend that started in the 90s. The biggest proponent of research into SEL has been CASEL (The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning). They define SEL as the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations constructively (CASEL). SEL has been shown to promotes health, well-being and academic success while preventing problems such as violence, alcohol and drug use, truancy, and bullying.
Indigenous Knowledge
I think it is important to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge as an additional source of pedagogy. “Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential and relational” (First Nations Education Steering Committee, 2015). Using IK in the classroom can be beneficial in that students can be encouraged to understand the connections between all people living within the boarders of Canada. Our identities are inherently dependent on each other and we have a direct part to play in perpetuating or challenging stereotypes. “Western” and Indigenous knowledge should not be seen as a binary but as complimentary. For more on incorporating IK see my “Pedagogy” or “Practicum” pages.
How has this program influenced my philosophy?
This program has helped me discover where I fit in the intersectionalities of society. It has helped me see where my own prejudices come from which will help me overcome them. As much as people joke about the amount of “reflection” we do in this program, it has really helped me to see myself more objectively and see where I can grow as a teacher as well as a person. One moment that made my own position in the world clear to me was when we did an activity in EDST401 where our instructor read out a bunch of privileges and disadvantages and if the privileges matched with your experience you took a step forward and if the disadvantages matched with your experience you took a step back. At the end of the game I was standing at the front with two other girls who looked very much like myself. At first I was resistant to the idea that I had such a leg up on so many other people but it certainly made me re-evaluate myself. I realized that a lot of things in my life were handed to me and I should appreciate that and take advantage of my privileges because not everyone gets the same opportunities as I do.
What is “professionalism”?
To me the word “professionalism” implies that you are part of a collegial profession. It means you have a responsibility to the other people who share your name, be it “Doctor”, “Lawyer”, “Psychologist” or “Teacher”. You have a responsibility not to give the profession a bad name. I think “semi-professional” means that there is a level of professionalism involved in the job but it is not to the same level as the above-mentioned jobs. As a teacher I agree with the idea that my actions should uphold the standards of the teaching profession. I absolutely want to be an active member of a community one day and I think being a teacher will help me with that goal. In general I support unions. I think that they have played a very important role in the history of labour relations. I think it is essential for there to be grievance options available for teachers.
What are “teaching standards”?
Teaching standards are like the list of rules for the teaching “club”. They give you guidance for what you should do and not do. They also help the regulatory bodies determine when a teacher is not doing what they should. I think the assumptions that are included in the standards are that you are a teacher 24/7. You will always be on display if you are in your community, and sometimes even when you are not. You must always keep that in mind. My only qualm with some of the situations we have been discussing in school is that I like to be nude on wreck beach. As we have discussed this issue many of my fellow classmates have said that I should not be nude where there is a chance of my photo being taken. I appreciated that the TRB presenter said that these days I could not get in trouble if that happened. If someone took my picture on a nude beach without my permission I should not get in trouble. Some scenarios that might complicate a given standard would be if a teacher suffered from a mental illness. Maybe they could not control their actions and that fact might need to be taken into account when dealing with them.
To find out how my teaching philosophy transfers to the classroom, please see my “Pedagogy” page 🙂