If you have questions or don’t agree with anything, please comment. This is an evolving document, and it will only improve with your feedback.
Educational Purpose
To use teenager parlance, education can be described as a “life hack” (or short cut). The alternatives to education are terrible: early death or needing to learn first-hand the survival and thriving skills of billions of human ancestors. While these are perhaps laughably unrealistic scenarios, too many die prematurely each day because they (or those around them) lacked education. Education is an immeasurable gift humanity confers on future generations; it deserves recognition, respect, and gratitude.
In general, the purpose of education is to permit a student to lead an engaging, healthy, and joyful life. Being healthy refers to making informed choices which promote optimal physical and mental health (unavoidable illness and disability excluded).
School-based (or formal academic) education has the same purpose as above, as well as grade-defined content and cognitive mastery goals.
In the above, I ascribe “purpose” to education rather than “goal”. Goal refers to an end; a final product. Purpose is a continuing, meaningful reason for being. I refer to education serving a purpose rather than a means to an end.
Society’s investment in the individual (and vice versa)
I passionately believe everyone has the same potential to lead an engaging, healthy, joyful and academically-fulfilling life. I recognize that the educational resources required to reach this potential varies from person to person. Therefore, it falls on both individuals and society to ensure sufficient resources are supplied equitably. Conversely, I believe the individual and societal costs of allowing even one person to experience lifelong disengagement, preventable ill health, and/or miserable outlook outweigh the cost of such resources.
I recognize that public schooling in BC provides a world-class framework in which education may be fostered. However, many more resources (financial as well as voluntary, community, and family) need to be allocated to education to serve its purpose.
Goals and outcomes of Business Education
I believe humans are not born with a blank slate (tabula rasa), but possess innate abilities which require nurturing and fine-tuning. I will help students to be confident in their abilities, identities and emotions. I want them to possess generally positive outlooks and be long-term oriented (which enhance resiliency and perseverance). Within Business Education, students’ knowledge will be proficient enough to be able to explain how content is interrelated and how it fits within wider economic and societal contexts.
Methods
Students learn both formally and informally. Where possible, I want the classroom to be an extension of their informal learning; a funnelling and structuring of their passions (or at least interests and aptitudes). I will build meaningful relationships with each of my students inside the classroom and in extracurricular events. I strongly believe in the power of social emotional learning and will support students’ wellbeing using innovative methods.
While a teacher-in-training, I will take advantage of methods and activities offered by my peers and advisors. As I gain experience, I will experiment with new methods and activities; these will be based on academic research ideally or other substantive evidence justifying their efficacy. I anticipate doing the following activities during my first year as a teacher: field trips and simulations, games/quizzes (Kahoot), group presentations, and mini-research projects.
I recognize students learn at different rates but will never label them so as to psychologically limit their potential (“stereotype vulnerability”). I will ensure students are placed in diverse groups at least half the time, while other times they will be allowed to choose their own groups. In assessment, I will use descriptive and balanced language, and focus on growth, improvement and effort rather than achievement. Assignment grades will be additive rather than subtractive (for example, I will not deduct marks for lateness).
I will be available to parents and guardians as much as possible, but cognizant that home is occasionally not a hospitable and safe space for youth.
I celebrate difference and will design lessons and teaching practices with that in mind. I am cognizant of my relative socioeconomic privilege as well as investment in historically-marginalized communities (being mixed-race and LGBTQ). I will keep abreast of new research and correspondingly promote fairness and equity within gender, socioeconomic, racial, age, and mental health contexts.
Business Education
The purpose of this highly applied field of study is to prepare students for the world of work, and to practise soft skills like written, oral and body language. Business Education should provide students with business experience outside the classroom (given that almost all students will have corporate jobs at one time or another and should be prepared for this reality). Regardless of a student’s life path, Business Education should provide transferable, relevant skills to any career. I want to chip away at the walls that many adults and children place between business, academics and wider society; students will leave my courses with a fluid understanding of how all three are connected.
Business Education provides content and context for my teaching practice, but ultimately I am an educator of children. As such, the purpose of my work is to guide students (using Business Education) to lead engaging, healthy, and joyful lives.