I believe the goal of education is to produce wise and engaged citizens of good character. Essential to this is teaching students to be both personally and socially responsible for their actions. This is not achieved merely through the transmission of information, but through mentorship and facilitating diverse student-centered learning experiences that holistically engaging students in body, heart and mind, recognizing that students cannot thrive academically unless their physical and social/emotional needs are met. The ultimate goal of my teaching is to inspire my students to reach their full potentials while also seeking what is best not only for themselves but for others and the Earth.

I believe my primary role as a teacher is to be an “architect of community” (Greene, p. 12, 2012) seeking to construct a classroom environment that caters to students as whole persons. To care for my students’ social-emotional learning I place great value on getting to know them and making connections with them. I also strive to foster meaningful peer-relationships among my students, so that everyone feels safe and accepted. I also recognize the importance of catering to my students’ physical needs and limitations be it with regards to the physical layout of the classroom, the time spent sitting, or the types of learning activities we do. I aim to create a school environment that places equal value on the physical, social-emotional and intellectual dimensions, as the deepest learning integrates all three.

When it comes to instruction, my role as a teacher is not to be a ‘sage on the stage’ but a ‘guide on the side,’ who plans and facilitates the learning experiences that are “conducted from the learners’ point of view” (Pratt & Collins, 2014). I value the developmental teaching perspective and aim to use questioning and conversations that challenge students to move from simple to complex was of thinking. I aim to teach my students how to think, not what to think. I strive to “bridge knowledge” through group activities that anchor the new content and skills in the context of what my students already know (Pratt & Collins, 2014). Through questioning and reflecting, I aim to guide students in the process of extending their understanding of texts, concepts and experiences in ways that are meaningful to them and apply to their lives.

Lastly, I believe that as a teacher I must be continually committed to my own professional growth through reflective practice. During my practicum, I began an inquiry into how a Schönean inspired reflective practice can serve as a medium for teacher self-assessment. I integrated both reflection-in-action to identify my struggles and reflection-on-action to understand the reasons for them and how to improve upon them in ways specific then practice settings in which they occurred. Through my practicum inquiry project, I began to develop a habit of reflective practice that I will continue throughout my teaching career. I also came to understand the value of making time for purposeful reflection and teacher self-assessment, so that I can identify my areas of weakness and let these insights guide my professional development choices.

References

Greene, K. & Mitcham, K. C. (2012). Community in the classroom. English Journal, 13-15

Pratt D. D. & Collins J. P., (2014) Teaching Perspectives Inventory, The Five Perspectives. Retrieved from: http://www.teachingperspectives.com/tpi/

Schön, D. A. (1991). The reflective practitioner: How professional thik in action. London: Ashgate.