The 8 Guiding Principles of my Teaching Philosophy
I have eight foundational principles that are central to my teaching philosophy. These principles reflect my own inner values as a human being, guide me and ground me as an emerging teacher. They touch on areas of my role as a teacher, the value of assessment, guidance, mentorship and reflection. I feel that over my teaching career, each principle will expand and evolve in some way, and I look forward to how my perspectives will shift over time...
1. Mindfulness
My most grounding principle is to be mindful, practice mindfulness in my classroom and be in the moment with my students. This includes being mindful of my timing, my intentions, my goals, my thoughts, words and actions. This is a two-step goal however, as the first and foremost step to this is really getting to know my students! Becoming mindful of their passions, interests, areas of strength and areas for growth, their hopes, dreams and fears. The more I can get to know my students for where they have been, who they are, and where they want to go, the better I will be as a teacher, mentor and guide, as I will be able to meet them where they are.
"What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches"
Karl Menninger
2. Diversity is the Norm
Another important aspect of my philosophy of teaching is being able to meet all students’ needs, as individuality and differentiation is the norm among human beings, both inside and outside the classroom. Each student brings something to the classroom, to their learning experience. Whether it is in intelligence, giftedness, a particular talent, ability, skill or perspective in life. Respect is the foundation to this principle, which is why it follows my principle of mindfulness and getting to know my students for who they are and where they are in their own life journey.
"All the diversity, all the charm, and all the beauty of life are made up of light and shade. Strength lines differences, not in similarities."
Leo Tolstoy
3. Make Mistakes, Make Mistakes, Make Mistakes!
It's the best way to learn something! Errors or mistakes in education are invaluable. Whether they happen in daily classroom routines, during projects or activities or tests, they are incredibly value tool to learn and grow. Errors allow me as a teacher to get to know my students better, what they need, what they don't need, and how to assist them in their learning journey. Whether this is by using different tools and strategies, or establishing a new plan, mistakes and errors only help me help them better.
"Mistakes are the portals of discovery."
James Joyce
4. Engagement Fuels Enthusiastic Learning
The role of engagement, meaningful work and a rich, welcoming classroom environment are vital for learning to occur. Engagement is a result of having the right tools, right work and right space. For myself as an Early Childhood these three aspects are central to being an educator. This includes creating an environment which is visually inviting, textually welcoming and reflective of the child's learning and growth (*see My Future Classroom section). Essentially, if children have interest, education happens. I see myself as a facilitator or a guide whose duty and obligation is to provide my students the right tools and right environment for effective education. If the subject and tools are interesting, kids will show interest, become engage, and learning will happen!
“Control leads to compliance but autonomy leads to engagement.”
Daniel H. Pink
5. Empathy in Education
Empathy is a skill and a mindset that stems from practiced mindfulness and respect. Empathy is the ability to recognize emotions, thoughts and feeling that are being experienced by another human being. The first of the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism is that "life is suffering." Suffering is essentially the human condition, and to be mindful of this is to practice empathy in the educational system. Empathy for our students, their lives, and their learning journey. Learning about ourselves and our own suffering allows us to learn about others and be empathetic to theirs. We help others help themselves, however this cannot occur without practicing empathy in education. I want to be for someone else that needs someone to talk to, to be the consistent figure of comfort and kindness that a one can count on and learn from, the same way so many individuals have been for me.
“Education leads to enlightenment. Enlightenment opens the way to empathy. Empathy foreshadows reform.”
Derrick A. Bell
6. Stay Inspired to be an Inspiration!
The best teachers I ever had were always passionate, inspired and curious about the world around them. Their inspiration was like a flame; always burning, hard to ignore and contagious! They illuminated my own passions and interests, the way fire lights fire. Their passion ignited my passion, and I was inspired by them. I want to inspire my students in the same way by being genuinely passionate, inspired and curious about the world around me. I want to tell my students where to look but not what to look at... I want them to feel the same way I felt about my teachers, encourage them, support them and guide them, but never 'tell' them..
"I am not a teacher, but an awakener. .."
Robert Frost
7. Community and Collaboration
Education is actually a highly sophisticated self-organizing system that evolves in the same way technology and society does. It is influenced and impacted by changes, is the driver of changes and is composed of many different communities. Essentially, learning is an emergent phenomenon and the outcome of a complex and elaborate equation composed of teachers, students, friends, parents and administrators, communities, technology, media and culture. ALL of these individuals and forces in society play a role in creating and shaping this organized system. The more collaborative and mutually supported the efforts, the more likely the learning phenomenon occurs.
"If we teach today's students as we taught yesterdays, we rob them of tomorrow"
John Dewey
8. Adult Learning is Life Learning
My first year Pragmatics instructor Tim Skuce used to say "We are always on our way to becoming..." Teaching and learning is an interactive and metacognitive process that goes on for a lifetime. I strive to embrace this notion by bringing mindfulness of myself and my inner life, the inner life of my students, and where they are on their journey home as that is the place where I start sharing myself with my students and I start learning from them.
“We're all just walking each other home.”
Ram Dass.
My most grounding principle is to be mindful, practice mindfulness in my classroom and be in the moment with my students. This includes being mindful of my timing, my intentions, my goals, my thoughts, words and actions. This is a two-step goal however, as the first and foremost step to this is really getting to know my students! Becoming mindful of their passions, interests, areas of strength and areas for growth, their hopes, dreams and fears. The more I can get to know my students for where they have been, who they are, and where they want to go, the better I will be as a teacher, mentor and guide, as I will be able to meet them where they are.
"What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches"
Karl Menninger
2. Diversity is the Norm
Another important aspect of my philosophy of teaching is being able to meet all students’ needs, as individuality and differentiation is the norm among human beings, both inside and outside the classroom. Each student brings something to the classroom, to their learning experience. Whether it is in intelligence, giftedness, a particular talent, ability, skill or perspective in life. Respect is the foundation to this principle, which is why it follows my principle of mindfulness and getting to know my students for who they are and where they are in their own life journey.
"All the diversity, all the charm, and all the beauty of life are made up of light and shade. Strength lines differences, not in similarities."
Leo Tolstoy
3. Make Mistakes, Make Mistakes, Make Mistakes!
It's the best way to learn something! Errors or mistakes in education are invaluable. Whether they happen in daily classroom routines, during projects or activities or tests, they are incredibly value tool to learn and grow. Errors allow me as a teacher to get to know my students better, what they need, what they don't need, and how to assist them in their learning journey. Whether this is by using different tools and strategies, or establishing a new plan, mistakes and errors only help me help them better.
"Mistakes are the portals of discovery."
James Joyce
4. Engagement Fuels Enthusiastic Learning
The role of engagement, meaningful work and a rich, welcoming classroom environment are vital for learning to occur. Engagement is a result of having the right tools, right work and right space. For myself as an Early Childhood these three aspects are central to being an educator. This includes creating an environment which is visually inviting, textually welcoming and reflective of the child's learning and growth (*see My Future Classroom section). Essentially, if children have interest, education happens. I see myself as a facilitator or a guide whose duty and obligation is to provide my students the right tools and right environment for effective education. If the subject and tools are interesting, kids will show interest, become engage, and learning will happen!
“Control leads to compliance but autonomy leads to engagement.”
Daniel H. Pink
5. Empathy in Education
Empathy is a skill and a mindset that stems from practiced mindfulness and respect. Empathy is the ability to recognize emotions, thoughts and feeling that are being experienced by another human being. The first of the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism is that "life is suffering." Suffering is essentially the human condition, and to be mindful of this is to practice empathy in the educational system. Empathy for our students, their lives, and their learning journey. Learning about ourselves and our own suffering allows us to learn about others and be empathetic to theirs. We help others help themselves, however this cannot occur without practicing empathy in education. I want to be for someone else that needs someone to talk to, to be the consistent figure of comfort and kindness that a one can count on and learn from, the same way so many individuals have been for me.
“Education leads to enlightenment. Enlightenment opens the way to empathy. Empathy foreshadows reform.”
Derrick A. Bell
6. Stay Inspired to be an Inspiration!
The best teachers I ever had were always passionate, inspired and curious about the world around them. Their inspiration was like a flame; always burning, hard to ignore and contagious! They illuminated my own passions and interests, the way fire lights fire. Their passion ignited my passion, and I was inspired by them. I want to inspire my students in the same way by being genuinely passionate, inspired and curious about the world around me. I want to tell my students where to look but not what to look at... I want them to feel the same way I felt about my teachers, encourage them, support them and guide them, but never 'tell' them..
"I am not a teacher, but an awakener. .."
Robert Frost
7. Community and Collaboration
Education is actually a highly sophisticated self-organizing system that evolves in the same way technology and society does. It is influenced and impacted by changes, is the driver of changes and is composed of many different communities. Essentially, learning is an emergent phenomenon and the outcome of a complex and elaborate equation composed of teachers, students, friends, parents and administrators, communities, technology, media and culture. ALL of these individuals and forces in society play a role in creating and shaping this organized system. The more collaborative and mutually supported the efforts, the more likely the learning phenomenon occurs.
"If we teach today's students as we taught yesterdays, we rob them of tomorrow"
John Dewey
8. Adult Learning is Life Learning
My first year Pragmatics instructor Tim Skuce used to say "We are always on our way to becoming..." Teaching and learning is an interactive and metacognitive process that goes on for a lifetime. I strive to embrace this notion by bringing mindfulness of myself and my inner life, the inner life of my students, and where they are on their journey home as that is the place where I start sharing myself with my students and I start learning from them.
“We're all just walking each other home.”
Ram Dass.