My Personal Philosophy

I believe…

P- Patience, don’t give up.  Be supportive.  Help students to comprehend and promote understanding by making meaningful connections and providing clear examples.  Try not to take things personally if you receive a negative reaction.  Overcome barriers by setting goals and by having a positive attitude.

A - Appreciate each individual’s uniqueness and differences.  Respect and embrace the different levels of abilities within the class.  Present students with opportunities that allow them to express their creativity.  

S- Social experiences.  Work together with your students to build a classroom community based on trust and respect.  Make sure each student feels included and involved.  Learning is everywhere.  You can learn through social experiences and individually.  Be approachable and in constant communication with your students. 

S- Solutions.  If students have problems whether it’s behavioural or motivational, a teacher should consider various solutions to help students by combining several techniques.  Teachers should also be aware that there may not be a ready solution and ask colleagues and administrators for support.  Experiment, further inquire and utilize strategies.  Teachers are problem solvers, academically and personally.  Make adjustments, accept errors and welcome suggestions.  Develop specific solutions to help students achieve their goals.

I - Inner drive.  Invite students to think critically.  Motivate students to want to learn and you as the teacher should want to learn with your students.  Incite curiousity.  Be enthusiastic when teaching lessons and show students that you want to be there and work with them.  Be prepared and plan lessons accordingly.

O- Open- minded.  Be open to learn.  Allow students to have an opinion and care what they say and contribute to the class.  Broaden their thinking and be flexible, non-biased, and non- judgmental.  Learning outcomes are not always the same.  Recognize that there are different learning styles and adapt you’re your teaching method to fit the constantly changing learning environment of the classroom. 

N- New ways of learning.  Invite exploration, discovery, reflection, and engage students in the classroom.   Foster an inquiring attitude.   Make the effort in educating yourself.  Attend workshops and collaborate with other teachers on what works and what doesn’t.  Modify lessons.  Learning is a life- long process and it is always changing.  Welcome new techniques and strive to always improve your teaching practices and acquired skills.

My personal philosophy is a work in progress.  I believe it will continue to change as I evolve as a teacher and continue to learn and develop new skills, and take on new values and beliefs.