Introduction
My philosophy of teaching is that every student is capable of learning and growing, and every student should have a safe space in which to learn. To help achieve this, I have identified 4 important ideas for me to implement:
- Be compassionate
- Nourish the mind and soul
- Help students dream and achieve
- Create a community of learners
To achieve this, I will use a variety of tools and strategies to make an inclusive classroom that celebrates diversity and differences, allows for hands-on student activities, and allows for individual student growth.
Be Compassionate
It is my goal to be genuinely caring for all my students. They need to feel welcomed, important and cared for. I strive to be transparent and to put all my students at ease, letting them know that I care for them as people and want them to succeed. I do my best to maintain a positive attitude and to be kind to all those that I meet, in and out of school. Brady (2011, p. 59) says, ”if students are impressed by the values by which eminent people lived their lives, they will adopt the values as their own.” If I can show my students compassion and kindness, they will reciprocate those values themselves.
Nourish the Mind and Soul
For me, teaching isn’t about just getting students to pass their standardized tests. I want to help my students become caring, responsible people in society. I will strive to model for my students how to be kind and caring. I will find ways to celebrate who they are as people and help them learn to celebrate others. One way in which I have done this is by having students reflect on themselves and their impact on their classmates. As a part of our morning routine, students answer questions that allow them to think about their classmates, families, communities, and themselves. We often share out answers and talk about ways to be a better friend and classmate. Our class also participates in school-wide “mindfulness moments” throughout the day, where students can focus on breathing and reflect on their day and themselves.
Help Students Dream and Achieve
Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” (Howes, 2012). The importance of helping our students dream cannot be understated. I want to help my students realize who they are as people, what they want to accomplish, and then help them to achieve those goals. “The stance of teachers’ moral character functions as a moral approach in teachers’ reasoning, guiding their ways of interacting with pupils and giving them hope for the future.” (Lovat et al., 2010, p. 153). I want my students to know that they are all capable of doing amazing things and that I will be there to support them in any way that I can.
Create a Community of Learners
One of the most important things to me is that my students know that learning never stops. My classroom will be a place where all students are encouraged to learn, to explore, to make mistakes, and to assist each other in learning. David Packard said, “Take risks. Ask big questions. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; if you don’t make mistakes, you’re not reaching far enough.” I will strive to help my students reach as far as they can, to learn all they can, so they will be the best people that they can be.
Conclusion
I have found that trying to keep these four things in mind has helped me grow as a teacher and as a person. I love getting to share my passion for learning and life with my students, and my students teach me something new every day. Where one of us grows, all of us seem to follow suit and I love watching how they develop and grow into caring, passionate citizens and community members.
REFERENCES
Brady, L. (2011). “Teacher Values and Relationship: Factors in Values Education,” Australian Journal of Teacher Education: Vol. 36: Iss. 2, Article 5. Retrieved April 24, 2017, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ920025.pdf
Howes, L. (2012, July 19). 20 Lessons from Walt Disney on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Chasing Your Dreams. Retrieved April 24, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/lewishowes/2012/07/17/20-business-quotes-and-lessons-from-walt-disney/3/#df156d58f56d
Noddings, N., Lovat, T., Pring, R., Clement, N., & Toomey, R. (2010). International research handbook on values education and student wellbeing. Dordrecht: Springer.